Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Welcome to Washington, Cresent Hardy

Nevada Republicans Election Night Watch Party

L.E. Baskow

Congressman-elect Cresent Hardy thanks supporters as Republicans gather to celebrate election victories, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, at Red Rock Resort.

Keeping the Capitol safe

When Hardy and Tennille drove up to the Capitol gates for the first day of orientation, security guards peered in, then waved the car past.

At metal detectors inside the Capitol, police ushered Hardy around.

Just days after the election, the entire Capitol Hill police force already had memorized Hardy’s face and those of his congressional classmates.

Just to be safe: After his swearing-in Jan. 6, Hardy received a lapel pin to identify him as a member of Congress.

You break it, you buy it

Gone are the days of ousted members destroying desks and smashing computers. Congress passed a law in the ’90s that holds outgoing members liable for damage to their offices.

Congratulations, Cresent Hardy, you’re a member of Congress. You survived months of grueling campaign work and an election no one thought you could win.

Now, the hard part begins. There are two offices in two states to set up, a staff to hire, ethics rules to learn and underground tunnels to find.

So for the new Republican representative for North Las Vegas and central Nevada — and anyone else who has wondered — here’s a primer on how to set up a congressional office.

Step 1: Hire staff

The campaign staff that guided Hardy to victory might seem like an obvious fit to help him navigate Washington, D.C. But Washington insiders convinced the former assemblyman he needed staff with more experience in the Capitol.

So Hardy hired a chief of staff who has worked on Capitol Hill for almost two decades, including most recently running the office of retired Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., former chair of the House Armed Services Committee.

The chief, Alan Tennille, will take the lead in hiring the rest of the crew. Hardy’s office will have about 15 full-time staffers and three part-time staffers in Washington and Nevada, with a budget of about $1 million.

Hardy plans to take a slightly unusual approach with his hires in Nevada. The goal, he and Tennille said, is to beef up constituent services.

It’s a politically smart move. Establishing an experienced local team that can help people in District 4 navigate the federal bureaucracy should endear Hardy to voters. New members have little time to build a strong rapport with constituents if they want to get re-elected.

Step 2: Pick an office and decorate it

Well, two offices actually.

Days after being elected, Hardy traveled to Washington for a week-long new-member orientation. At the end came an office lottery.

Hardy’s name was called early among the pool of 52 congressional newbies, and he got his first pick: a fourth-floor office in the historic Cannon House Office Building. (The other two office buildings “kind of remind me of hospital environments,” he said.)

Almost immediately he went to an office in the Capitol’s basement to pick a layout. Design experts helped him flip through pages of floor plans suggesting where to put his desk and copier and which staff should sit together. The furniture in his office is in good condition, so he won’t have to pick out anything new.

Hardy also approved the existing drapes and curtains. Personal decorations will come later. (Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., wanted to hang a mounted elk head in his first House office but it was too wide to fit through the door.) Tennille said Hardy plans to spend a minimal amount to frame official documents as his career develops. Back home in Nevada, Hardy will keep former Rep. Steven Horsford’s district office in North Las Vegas City Hall. He’ll use the same furniture, too.

Hardy also set up a two-bedroom apartment about 15 minutes from the Capitol that he’ll share with fellow Nevada Republican, Rep. Mark Amodei.

Step 3: Learn the rules

Official stationery must have the member’s name and district but can’t include a state seal. Official websites can’t mention the member’s party or advocate for any cause. Official travel is reimbursable but not if campaign work takes place. And don’t even think about taking a fancy vacation from a lobbyist.

There are dozens of pages of rules for federal lawmakers to live by. Hardy will rely mostly on his chief of staff to advise about what can and can’t be done. When in doubt, Hardy’s Rolodex will include the direct extension for the House Ethics Committee.

Hardy said “these ethics laws are good, solid ethics laws — as long as people live by them.”

Step 4: Learn the secrets of the Capitol

During orientation, Hardy got a tour of the Capitol and its underground tunnels and subways. He can get from his office to the House floor entirely underground.

He also learned the eight doors that lead to the House floor, and which offer the best chance of sneaking out undetected by reporters.

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