Sen. Richard Burr opened a Capitol Hill hearing Tuesday by offering Sen. Tim Kaine an orange, a blanket and a can of Dr Pepper, joking he doesn’t want the Virginia Democrat to succumb to another rough commute back to Richmond.
“I’ll have my staff bring them over to you,” Mr. Burr, North Carolina Republican, told Mr. Kaine, opening a COVID-19 hearing with a dose of levity by placing the items on the dais.
Mr. Burr said Mr. Kaine is “qualified to be transportation secretary” after his harrowing ordeal on Interstate 95 earlier this month.
A winter storm caused a pile-up of vehicles, paralyzing the highway and leaving motorists like the senator stranded for more than 20 hours.
Some motorists tried to make the best of it, including a family who offered oranges to Mr. Kaine and others on their way back from a Florida vacation.
Mr. Kaine quipped it is sad that after a lengthy political career, his “most notable highlight is my long commute.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.