Nearly a dozen newly elected House Democrats wandered around the hallowed halls of the U.S. Senate Wednesday, looking for the one person besides Donald Trump who has the power to shut down the longest shutdown in modern U.S. history: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
The roaming representatives, less than two weeks into their first term, were attempting to compel McConnell do his job and hold a vote to re-open the government, which has been partially closed since December 22.
The group included California’s Katie Hill and Mike Levin, Illinois’ Lauren Underwood, Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, Connecticut’s Jahana Hayes, and, of course, cherished GOP villain Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and it didn’t take long for people to take notice.
Ocasio-Cortez, a proven social media master, responded to WaPo’s Seung Min Kim’s initial curious tweet with the perfect hashtag.
#WheresMitch https://t.co/b9634y13MK
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 16, 2019
“Where’s Mitch?” soon became the question of the day as the roaming rookies continued their search for the Kentucky Republican.
We can’t focus, right now @AOC and Mitch are involved in a very high stakes game of hide and seek and our government and economy depend on the outcome.#WheresMitch#EndTrumpShutdown
— Jared Sherman (@JSherman6918) January 16, 2019
The freshmen legislators had one singular and simple wish: They wanted to deliver a letter expressing their desire to get the government up and running again, and return 800,000 federal employees back to (paying) work.
Earlier today I joined my freshmen colleagues in looking for @senatemajldr. Just want to give him our letter asking him to #EndTheShutdown. Couldn’t find him, but we’re still trying. #WheresMitch pic.twitter.com/kXpj3gLata
— Rep. Mike Levin (@RepMikeLevin) January 16, 2019
They weren’t the only ones looking for him, of course.
Hey @AOC if you find him let him know that a number of his constituents back her in KY would appreciate a word with him. The messages left at his office don’t seem to be getting through. #WheresMitch https://t.co/6Xx2WvuQQw
— Rucio (@ToddC8520) January 16, 2019
Not by a long shot.
Serious question: #WheresMitch? Asking for a country.
— Riker's Beard (@BeardOfRiker) January 17, 2019
The jokes, of course, wrote themselves.
Has any woman Member of Congress tried standing in the middle of the Capitol Building and loudly generalize about men?
That’s usually when mediocre white men pop out from behind plants and shit to offer their take.
Just a thought on strategy.#WheresMitch
— Charlotte Clymer????️???? (@cmclymer) January 17, 2019
Including some bits of humor that barely required words.
live footage of @senatemajldr running from @AOC pic.twitter.com/U7oujDYmcZ
— ????Paid Protester from Pittsburgh???????? (@LilfootLanolin) January 16, 2019
All jokes aside, the sense of urgency was real: The Majority Leader has a scheduled Republican distraction that will take up the rest of his week, all but guaranteeing that the shutdown will continue through the long weekend.
We went to his office, he wasn’t there. We went to the Senate floor, and he wasn’t there. Tomorrow he’s heading out of town on an “issues retreat” with his @SenateGOP colleagues. There’s no more urgent issue than calling for a vote in the senate to #EndTheShutdown #WheresMitch https://t.co/M9me1bKHb9
— Rep. Veronica Escobar (@RepEscobar) January 17, 2019
Apparently the GOP likes to celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday together, plotting their further destruction of the nation, as nobody could be found.
800,000 workers are missing their paychecks and we’re pushing to get them paid ASAP.
We’re here doing our job – the House has voted to reopen government whole or in part several times – so why can’t we find GOP Senators to ask them do theirs? #WheresMitch pic.twitter.com/FogCPg6ayZ
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 16, 2019
Nevertheless, these brave, brand new politicians persisted.
Where’s @senatemajldr? Not calling for a vote to reopen the government. He’s also not:
✅ In the Senate Majority Office
✅ In the Senate Cloak Room
✅ On the Senate Floor
✅ In his own officeBelieve us, we checked.
So #WheresMitch? And why won’t he #EndTheShutdownNow? pic.twitter.com/kA0sIUEyDb
— Rep. Katie Hill (@RepKatieHill) January 16, 2019
Unfortunately, they never did find the gentleman from Kentucky, so the wandering liberals left copies of their letter behind, like so many “do your damn job” breadcrumbs.
We at the House are doing *our* job passing bills reopen government, so why won’t @senatemajldr do his?
We left to drop off letters to:
– His Sen Majority Leader office
– The GOP cloak room
– The Senate floor
– His Senate officeAnd he’s nowhere to be found. #WheresMitch? pic.twitter.com/jZcWei6PM7
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) January 16, 2019
Some might argue that the Majority Leader won the day…
I made a thing. #WheresMitch pic.twitter.com/cuCK2x9tIW
— Sarah Smith ???? (@SarahSmith4WA) January 17, 2019
…but unfortunately for McConnell, this new class of Democrats is ready for the war.
The freshman are coming! The freshman are coming!! #WheresMitch pic.twitter.com/y1wATEwtRQ
— ConnieEmmart (@cremmart) January 17, 2019
This is what the dems needed, young people to intimidate the gop. I pray we get a supermajority in 2020, house and senate and of course get the presidency. We need to get back on track and undo the GOP destruction to our country and our allies.
They were claiming the dems were partying on the beach during the shutdown, but they go on a GOP retreat! Let me guess, every 3rd person probably works for the Kremlin or Goldman Sachs.