While Tammy Baldwin has months to go before moving into her permanent Senate digs, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan has already settled into his new Capitol office. That's because the House of Representatives kicks departing members out of their offices in time for new members to move in by Jan. 1.
Pocan's Madison office is also operating, thanks to a pretty seamless transition from its former occupant. Janet Piraino, Pocan's district director, says she was able to renegotiate the lease on Tammy Baldwin's congressional office on Doty Street and keep the furniture and equipment.
"If we were starting up a new office it could be a couple of months before [we were] up and running," she says.
And Baldwin's staff left things in perfect order, says Piraino, complete with starting supplies of copy paper and paper clips, kitchen sponges and dishwashing detergent.
Piraino has hired six of the eight staffers who will work out of the Madison office, which will mainly handle constituent casework and outreach. An additional staffer will operate out of Beloit.
Meanwhile, Pocan has been named an assistant minority whip and appointed to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Budget Committee. A veteran of the state Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, Pocan said in a news release: "I am no stranger to tough budget decisions."