Well, it looks as though newly elected Congressman Steve Daines (R-MT) has already gotten an upgrade to first class after only a few short weeks in Washington. His predecessor, Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-MT) was known for sleeping on the couch. Daines; however, has upgraded to a fold out-sofa.
Myers Reece has the story in The Flathead Beacon:
As uncertainty over the debt ceiling dominates headlines, Daines says the dilemma is a “symptom” of a national sickness, which is the federal government’s “spending problem.” He believes the government needs to fundamentally reform how it operates, “so that we have solutions that aren’t just fixing the problems of next year but also for the next generation.”
Daines is adjusting to D.C. life, but he has no intentions of leaving Montana behind. During the week, he stays at an apartment within walking distance of his office. The apartment has a “little fold-out sofa bed” and a Costco blow-up air mattress for when the kids are in town. Then on weekends he flies back to Montana. He doesn’t even have a car in Washington.
Speaking of government spending, just how far is the House GOP willing to go in order to curtail spending? Politico’s Playbook has this:
SIREN — “BEHIND THE CURTAIN” COLUMN – “House GOP eyes default, shutdown,” by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Jake Sherman: “House Republicans are seriously entertaining dramatic steps, including default or shutting down the government, to force President Obama to cut spending by the end of March. … GOP officials said more than half of their members are prepared to allow default unless Obama agrees to dramatic cuts … Speaker John Boehner ‘may need a shutdown just to get it out of their system,’ said a top GOP leadership adviser. ‘We might need to do that for member-management purposes – so they have an endgame and can show their constituents they’re fighting.’ … While everyone knew the [Christmastime] tax drama would end with the rich paying more taxes, no one is sure how the coming fights will unfold. … Starting [today at a leadership retreat in Virginia Hunt Country], Boehner … will discuss his preliminary thinking on a spending strategy.