Thread by @SeanCasten

OK, so this gets me a little verklempt. Herewith a true story about two of the most special moments in the 116th Congress - the first Congress for me and my friend @SpanbergerVA07. Sharing because it's a nice story and we need more nice stories. Thread:

https://twitter.com/SpanbergerVA07/status/1365085508095905794

1/ So one of the weirder things about this job is that all votes "feel" the same. Lots of debate, drama, press before & after (some) votes, but the process of pressing yay or nay is the same on a post office renaming as it is on a $5T appropriation.

2/ Intuitively, of course we know some are more meaningful. But the feedback is usually delayed. My first experience of anything different was the vote on the #EqualityAct in the 116th.

3/ So I went to the floor, voted yes and then spent time chatting with colleagues on the floor. And suddenly the gallery (the seats above the floor) erupted with cheers. Because we'd just hit the magic 218 that ensured the bill would pass.

4/ I hadn't noticed anyone was in the gallery before that moment. I hadn't looked up because the gallery is usually empty. But it was packed. Lots of pink. Lots of rainbows. More importantly, lots of lives directly affected by that vote. Cheering & crying tears of joy.

5/ And it hits me how important this job is. How many lives depend on what we do. And I'm getting emotional. I give them all the fist bumps and whatever goofy signals I can muster. One love. People get ready. I get choked up.

6/ I know my eyes are moist and as I look down on the floor I see @SpanbergerVA07. We exchange one of those I'm-not-crying-you're-crying-oh-let's-be-honest-we're-both-crying-I-am-so-proud-to-have-this-job looks. As one does in such moments.

7/ And then do the same with a lot of other members. None of us wanted to leave the floor. The gallery is cheering for us, we're cheering for them, all of us are humbled by the moment. Anyway, end of Act I.

8/ Act II. 1 month later. My daughter is visiting with a friend. That day we were voting to pass the Dream and Promise Act - major immigration reform, providing a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented Americans. So I brought them to the floor for the vote.

9/ As we walk in I look up (remember, I'm a crafty veteran by now) and notice the gallery is packed for the 2nd time in my Congressional career, this time with a lot of folks who's skin looks a bit browner than mine.

10/ So I vote and then tell my daughter & her friend to go down and mingle in "the well" by the dais. I chat with colleagues. At one point, @SpeakerPelosi says hello to them (she always takes time for kids). They are star-struck.

11/ Then the count hits 218 and - for the 2nd time in my Congressional career - the gallery erupts. This time with a cheer of "Si se puede! Si se puede!". Again, we do the tears, goofy fistbumps and share a moment of joy, pride, humility and too many other emotions to mention.

12/ And I got to share it with my daughter.

13/ Anyway, a couple hours later, we are walking home and swapping stories about their day and all the stories they can't wait to tell their friends & my daughter asks me why I asked her to go to the well.

14/ So I scroll through Twitter until I find someone who tweeted the moment. (You know, where you see the C-SPAN screen shot of the moment the count hits 218). And there they are, front and center, surrounded by a bunch of folks who are excited about having a cool job. /fin

Postscript: here's the tweet we found on the walk home. My daughter & her friend are standing just below the word "TIME" at ~7 o'clock. Still gets me choked up.

https://twitter.com/HispanicCaucus/status/1136051284459626496?s=20