Roll Call’s Meredith Shiner went behind the scenes of the members-only Senate gym to give us an insider look. What she found was mostly sweat and one of the few congenial places left on the hill. We’re hoping for a follow-up with the preferred playlists and lift number of each member.
Behind the Doors of the Senate Gym
Early-rising lawmakers get better acquainted in ‘sweat-filled room’ — the Senate gym
Behind a discreet set of keypad-entry double doors on the first floor of the Russell Senate Office Building lies one of the last oases of what was once the world’s greatest good-old-boys club: the Senate’s members-only gym.
Senators start trickling in at 5:30 a.m. in various states of dress, without the benefit of sunlight or staff, toting gym bags, newspapers and even to-go venti coffees as custodians above loudly buff the marble floors of Russell’s rotunda. In the era of modern travel and constant campaigning, the mysterious gym — where staffers and security details are barred — has grown into one of the few places where members can just be themselves without fear of repercussions.