Name game: GOP lawmakers have strategies for learning freshman faces

With 87 incoming Republican House members, there are a lot of names and faces for their incumbent colleagues to learn, and more than a few strategies floating around in the GOP ranks for how to do so.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) will rely on the official printed facebook of new members, which was distributed early this week. 

“I’ve read through it about two or three times, and I’ll keep checking it,” he told ITK.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) went a step further, asking his staff to assemble a document on his Android phone with all the names and faces of incoming members. “That way if I see anyone I don’t recognize, I can just look up their first name and get a good photo.” 

He shared a few photos with ITK on Tuesday night before rushing off to host a Christmas party at his house for his staff.

But perhaps the best strategy belongs to Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who is not the least bit worried about learning names and faces.

“It’s easy,” he said this week, “You just go up to anyone you don’t recognize and say, ‘Hey there, good to see you!’

“I’m telling you, it’s just like church,” the lawmaker joked, “where you say, ‘Hey, brother,’ and ‘Hey sister.’ ”

Chaffetz, who is mulling a bid for the Senate, admitted that names and faces aren’t necessarily his strong suit, but laughed, “We’re all politicians, so we know how to wing it in a situation like that.”

For the time being, however, Chaffetz is focused on figuring out who isn’t coming back for the 112th Congress. “I’m still trying to figure out who lost [their reelection bids].”

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