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Floor Charts for the Floor Show — September So Far

Our favorite garish visual aids from a month of congressional floor-watching

(Courtesy of @FloorCharts, screenshot of C-SPAN)
(Courtesy of @FloorCharts, screenshot of C-SPAN)

When it’s all Kavanaugh, all the time, watching the House and Senate floors can be a thankless task. But the floor charts make it all worthwhile and a lot of them over the last month have been about Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

Lawmakers like these oversized and sometimes garish visual aids because they help them get their point across. The Twitter handle @FloorCharts posts some of the daily highlights, and Roll Call now provides a monthly roundup of the best of the best.

On Sept. 6, Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon brought a giant question mark to the Senate floor to ask, “What are Republicans hiding” in advance of the confirmation hearings.

The hearings began on Sept. 4.

(Courtesy of @FloorCharts screenshot of C-SPAN)
(Courtesy of @FloorCharts screenshot of C-SPAN)

On Sept. 6, Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island used a photograph of Fred Guttenberg, a father whose child was a victim in the Parkland, Florida, shooting, trying to shake Kavanaugh’s hand.

The photograph went viral because Kavanaugh ignored him.

(Courtesy of @FloorCharts screenshot of C-SPAN)
(Courtesy of @FloorCharts screenshot of C-SPAN)

On Sept. 4, Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska  brought a new, updated version of his “Alaskan of the Week” poster.

The poster is a staple of the Senate floor.

(Courtesy of @FloorCharts screenshot of C-SPAN)
(Courtesy of @FloorCharts screenshot of C-SPAN)

On Sept. 6, Democratic Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez of Illinois brought a poster with a photograph of President Donald Trump beside a photograph of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

Gutiérrez, like other Democrats, usually has a negative thing or two to say about Trump and the Russia investigation. 

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