Rep.-elect Tom Barrett (R-MI) will start his freshman term in Congress in the same office his great-grandfather occupied 70 years earlier when he passed consequential legislation to change the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Michigan Republican won his coveted pick of room 1232 in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill thanks to the cooperation of his Republican and Democratic colleagues who respected Barrett’s wishes during the office lottery selection on Thursday.
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“It’s something I’m proud of and something my family is proud of, and something that we’re very appreciative of,” Barrett told the Washington Examiner Thursday after visiting his new office with a deep family legacy.
Barrett flipped the blue 7th congressional district held by Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who was elected as Michigan’s next U.S. senator, in a victory that helped House Republicans retain a slim majority.
Despite the hard-fought win, Barrett found his new bipartisan class of lawmakers backed him when he started lobbying for the office. In a letter he hand-delivered to his colleagues, Barrett shared the story of his great-grandfather, Rep. Louis Rabaut (D-MI), who was first elected to Congress 90 years ago in 1934.
“He died in office in 1961, long before I was born, so I never had the opportunity to meet him or ask him about his time in Congress, but his legacy is something my whole family is very proud of,” Barrett, 43, wrote his colleagues. “In fact, my youngest son, Louis, is named after my great-grandfather.”
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Rabaut occupied several offices in his career, but the one that meant the most to Barrett was Longworth 1232. That’s where Rabaut sponsored legislation that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law in 1954 to add the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
“That was really his most substantive bill that he’s best remembered for so I figured that would be the ideal office to move into,” Barrett said, reflecting on what meaningful work he may be able to do from the same spot.
The experience “really makes me reflective about certainly those that came before me, but also about the generations that are going to come behind me,” Barrett said. “What are we going to do so that 90 years from now, what are the future generations saying about those of us that served at this time.”
The office is currently occupied by Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), who is moving out. Every two years, members have an opportunity to request to upgrade to a new space from a retiring or voted-out colleague. Then, newly elected members participate in a lottery to choose from the remaining rooms where they’ll work with their staff.
More than 50 people were part of the lottery and Barrett drew number 14. His lobbying efforts paid off because the 13 incoming lawmakers ahead of him didn’t claim the office he was eying.
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“Everybody was pretty accommodating,” he said in thanking his colleagues.
The office selection caps a two-week freshman orientation and Barrett will head home to his Lansing-area district. When he returns to Washington, he’ll settle in with artifacts of his great-grandfather’s legacy to adorn his space. Chief among them will be a family heirloom: a framed copy of the Pledge of Allegiance signed by Rabaut.