Roughin' It

Republican Jason Chaffetz, the newest member of Utah's U.S. Congressional delegation, is just the latest member planning on living in his Capitol Hill office. Politico has an interesting piece on members who choose to save money, live within a budget, and room where they work. Although there are no official statistics on the topic, it is estimated that roughly 40 or so of Congress' 435 members decide to call their Hill office their refuge when in the District. (Ohio Democrat Jim Traficant used to sleep in his Hill office--now he sleeps in housing provided by the Federal Bureau of Prisons).

Chaffetz' story is a classic, one I can imagine him telling college classes he guest speaks in for years to come: "Before flying into Washington on Sunday, Chaffetz went to a local grocery store in Utah to buy his new bed. His wife was out watching the new James Bond movie with girlfriends, so Chaffetz took his 7-year-old daughter, who was apparently mortified as he unfolded and tested cots in the aisle of the store. Satisfied with what he saw, Chaffetz paid $44.89 for his new bed-away-from-home, then wrapped it in a garbage bag and duct tape for the trip east."

Frankly, I'd choose a well-padded futon that could double as a sofa during working hours. That would probably much more comfortable at night and you could write it off as a work expense because you'd be using it during the day for business.