Cole lights up a cigar in the Speaker’s Lobby

Plenty of House members smoke cigarettes on the balcony outside the Speaker’s Lobby, but it’s widely known that smoking inside the ornate hallway is against the rules set up by Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) four years ago.

So when the distinct odor of cigar smoke wafted through the lobby, it immediately captured the attention of a few reporters and members of staff. 

It was Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who decided to stand inside the lobby for a few puffs while lighting his cigar. When it was fully lit, the lawmaker went out onto the balcony to enjoy it.

Cigars take considerably more time to light than cigarettes do, so the scent of tobacco lingered in the air for a little while. Firing up a stogie is hard to do outside if it’s windy. The weather was unusually warm on Wednesday, but winds were blowing around 10 to 20 mph.

Asked about his decision to light up inside, Cole told ITK, “Even with all the hot air emanating from the House floor, it’s still less windy in the Speaker’s Lobby than it is outdoors.”