A congressional delegation headed to Haiti on Friday, a month after a devastating earthquake shook the poor island nation.

The group of 12, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the first delegation of lawmakers to travel to the country since the earthquake hit.

It includes 11 Democrats and one Republican, Sen. George LeMieux (Fla.), whose state includes one of the highest populations of Haitian immigrants in the U.S.

“I am pleased to be a part of this bipartisan, bicameral delegation to Haiti today," Pelosi said in a release. “In the spirit of President Obama, we go to demonstrate the ongoing American commitment to the Haitian people — that they will not be forsaken or forgotten."

Friday has been marked a day of mourning in Haiti, signifying the 30th day since the earthquake it.

Hundreds of thousands have been reported dead and many areas of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, have been leveled.

The delegation will assess the U.S. government's recovery and relief efforts and survey the damage. Lawmakers will also meet with Haitian President Rene Preval and Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, as well as other Haitian officials.

President Barack Obama last month pledged $100 million to the Haitian relief efforts. U.S. military and humanitarian personnel were among the earliest to respond to the disaster.

The delegation will also tour food distribution sites and medical centers and meet with U.S., U.N. and other international relief workers.

Here is the full list of the delegation:

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
* Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
* Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
* Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)
* Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
* Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.)
* Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman, House Judiciary Committee
* Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman, House Ways and Means Committee
* Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
* Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)
* Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.)
* Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands)

Vice President Joe Biden's wife Jill has an unusual tactic for making important policy points to her husband: "I make my point on his bathroom mirror," she told Good Morning America on Friday.

"A lot of times I Scotch tape a point I want to make -- or if I see an article in the paper. The tape goes back and forth."

The comment was part of an interview the Bidens did in advance of Valentine's Day this Sunday. Last year, in honor of the romantic holiday, Jill snuck into her husband's White House office and wrote "Jill loves Joe" all over his office window panes.

While they stayed mum about this year's Valentine's plans, they were quick to note how excited the vice president gets when his wife is at the White House, "It's kind of embarrassing," said Biden, blushing.

"I mean, I drive her nuts [when she visits the White House on business]. I ask my staff, "Why can't I go eat my soup [in the East Wing] with her?"

Jill Biden smiled, "And my staff [tells me], "He's coming over again."

The couple also spoke about the difficulties of political marriages, a timely topic while two of the country's best-selling books are about extramarital affairs by politicians, "The Politician" by Andrew Young and "Staying True" by South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford.

Biden said a lot of the political couples he knows have solid marriages; "I think this lifestyle is too tough not to really stick together. People say, "Oh, you know, everybody cheats in Washington." And that's not the truth. You have to have a strong marriage to survive it."

Asked how they make their political marriage work, Biden said, "As long as we know that the career is less important than the marriage, then it works ... this is no great love story ... everything works if the marriage is working."

Democratic strategist James Carville said on Friday that his wife, GOP consultant Mary Matalin wears a New Orleans Saints jersey in bed.

Carville, an avid Saints fan, was asked on the Tony Kornheiser radio show whether Matalin is also a fan of the Super Bowl champions.

He responded that she "wears a Jeremy Shockey jersey to bed," adding that he would be concerned if she and Shockey ever met.

Shockey, who plays tight end for the Saints, caught a touchdown pass in the Saints 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Super Bowl Sunday.

It appears even the Commander-in-Chief can get cabin fever. This photo of President Barack Obama was taken in the Oval Office on Wednesday, as the Washington region endured its fourth snowy day in a week.

House staffers said they are looking forward to finally having a day in the office, after a week of foregoing their Capitol Hill routine for a home office filled with snow shoveling, e-mail writing, and catching up on work-related reading amidst television reruns.

“I know this is going to sound weird, but I really can’t wait to have a full day of work in the office tomorrow,” said one Democratic aide, who added that “cabin fever” had set in long ago.

Working from home may sound like a sweet deal, but not when it’s coupled with four days of no school for children, said another Hill staffer.

“I’m hoping, praying, that schools open back up tomorrow,” said the Republican staffer, who lives in Northern Virginia. “There’s only so much Sponge Bob that one should have to endure.”

House and Senate operations are expected to be back to nearly normal on Friday, including childcare services.

Another staffer worried that with everyone making a mass trek back to the Hill, traffic and parking will be an issue.

“I suspect tomorrow will be back to business for just about everybody,” said one Republican staffer who had worked from home most of the week.

“The real hassle is just going to be that everyone’s finally thawing out and is going to be taking the Metro and driving.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had dinner at Ristorante Posto on 14th St. Thursday evening.

The restaurant tweeted: "Pelosi just walked out of Ristorante Posto and everyone applauded her. She was sporting a cute beret and waved graciously."

Pelosi, whose heritage is Italian, is the first Californian, and first Italian-American to serve as Speaker.

Former President Bill Clinton has been hospitalized in New York City after undergoing a procedure to place two stents in a coronary artery.

Clinton was hospitalized in Manhattan's Columbia-Presbyterian hospital after feeling discomfort in his chest, a spokesman for the former president said Thursday.

"Following a visit to his cardiologist, he underwent a procedure to place two stents in one of his coronary arteries," spokesman Douglas Band said.

The news of Clinton's hospitalization was first reported by ABC.

The 63-year-old Clinton, who left office in 2001, underwent a quadruple bypass procedure in 2004.

The former president had been enlisted by President Barack Obama to work with former President George W. Bush to organize relief for earthquake-striken Haiti. As part of that work, Clinton had traveled to Haiti twice since last month's disaster.

Band said Clinton would continue to work on those relief efforts.

"President Clinton is in good spirits, and will continue to focus on the work of his Foundation and Haiti's relief and long-term recovery efforts," he said.

His wife, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, was scheduled to meet with Obama in the Oval Office this afternoon, and had been scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar this weekend.

Many congressional offices were closed Thursday, or if they were open, employees were allowed to work from home. But not staffers for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

A source told ITK that an "edict" came down Wednesday night from "the boss" that staffers were to be at their desks on Thursday, despite record snowfalls, extremely limited Metro service, and a federal government shutdown.

The senator would be in the office, they were told, and employees who weren't there, for whatever reason, would be fined a vacation day. Ouch.

A spokesman for Feinstein confirmed the tough policy. "Our office has a flexible leave policy that allows staff to take vacation time if they can't make it in today due to snow," he said in a statement. "However, nearly every member of our dedicated team of public servants is in the office working hard on behalf of the people of California today. As I mentioned before, we all worked from home yesterday. Also, there were several committee meetings today, and the Senate is in session."

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says he is "shocked" and "disappointed" with the sex scandal that has brought down his 2004 Democratic presidential running mate's marriage and political career.

Kerry discussed the John Edwards saga during an appearance with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, on CNN's Larry King Live Wednesday night.

"What do you make of it?" King asked.

"Well, Larry, what can you make? I mean, honestly, it is a tragedy," Kerry said.

"Are you shocked?"

Kerry responed, "Yes, and obviously disappointed. But I think -- you know, I think everybody just feels awful about it, in terms of their family, the relationship that everybody saw publically, the promise, the hope. You know, obviously, a capable career..."

"Have you spoken to him?" King asked.

"I have not. I mean, I called their home. I didn't know who would answer. I certainly was ready and willing and hope to say a word."