Planes, Rains and Automobiles: Lawmakers Struggle to Get to D.C. With Reconciliation on the Line

It was an odyssey to get back to the Capitol for a number of members who faced flight delays and cancellations.

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Rep. Nancy Mace holds a dog on a leash as she departs a vote at the U.S. Capitol. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP

As the House prepared to begin voting on the Republican megabill Tuesday night, members headed for Washington. The only problem? A huge storm was headed that way, too.

Flights to the D.C. area from all around the country were canceled, rerouted or delayed. But members were determined to make it to the Capitol to vote for — or against — President Donald Trump’s reconciliation bill.

Rep. Derek Tran tried to beat the storm by taking the first flight out of Los Angeles. But the plane circled for almost an hour over Pennsylvania, waiting to land, before running out of fuel. While waiting, Tran’s team told him that Pennsylvania Rep. Chris DeLuzio needed a ride to D.C.