What do my House/Senate IDs allow me to do?

[Anonymous]

At least when I worked on the Hill many moons ago, you needed a Member present to ride the tram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least when I worked on the Hill many moons ago, you needed a Member present to ride the tram.

Was it open to the public at one time? I swear I rode it when I was visiting with my high school in the 80s. (Not with my whole class, just a small group.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly don't know why a simple question creates such a snark fest. Maybe it is because none of these people have a clue -- the Capitol doesn't have "security guards" it has the Capitol Police. I'm not sure what a "support" id is, but assuming it is the same as any staff id, you can use it to bring your family into the Capitol, but you have to check them in at a desk (the one on the Senate side is in the basement of the Russell Building). They will need a picture id. At the Visitors's Center, there is a desk for Staff Tours, where you can get them on a tour. They'll need passes for the galleries, but you can get those from any member's office. Just stick your head in at a office of a member of the state where they're from. You used to be able to take family on the Senate floor when the Senate was not in session, but that ended after 9/11 (although there are ways to arrange floor tours, if you know leadership staff). You can take them to the lobby off the floor. Don't know about the House floor. You can sit on the West front for the fourth of July. Really, that's about it. Dome tours (which are suspended now, during the construction), can only be led by members.

This is a ridiculous attempt at a distinction. The people who stand in entryways and check IDs are security guards. They may be military, local police, homeland security, federal protective services, capitol police, or private company. But they are security guards.

Seriously.

Except they are police with guns and are the first line of defense. And they killed in the line of duty: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Capitol_shooting_incident_(1998)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year I stood on the balcony where the pope addressed the people outside the Capitol (the speaker's balcony) on a tour with a lowly intern family member. And House and senate floors. Very cool.

I also rode the tram with an unpaid intern last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least when I worked on the Hill many moons ago, you needed a Member present to ride the tram.

I rode on it all the time when I was an intern in the 80s.There were senator only elevators in those days when there was a vote, and possibly the tram was reserved for senators when they needed to get over to the floor, but otherwise it was not limited.