Meet the Lawmaker: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)

What have you found to be the best and worst things about Washington?
Sen . Shaheen: The best thing is, by far, the people and how supportive all the other senators and the Senate staff have been. The worst thing has been finding my way around the Capitol.

What was the last book you read?
Sen . Shaheen: Three Cups of Tea. It’s about Afghanistan and Pakistan and is written about a man named Greg Mortenson, who went over there to build schools.

What did you want to be when you were a kid?
Sen . Shaheen: A variety of things. I wanted to be a veterinarian for a while. I wanted to be Annie Oakley — that was my first goal for many years.

If you weren’t yourself, which lawmaker would you want to be?
Sen . Shaheen: Well, of course, Barack Obama.

What has been your most embarrassing or worst political move to date?
Sen . Shaheen: It’s not exactly a political move, but my first weekend here I got lost in the basement of the Capitol, and I couldn’t figure out how to get out.

Which household chores do you enjoy, and which ones do you not like to do?
Sen . Shaheen: I don’t like to buy groceries, but I don’t mind vacuuming.

Who is your favorite Republican lawmaker?
Sen . Shaheen: All of the Republicans have been nice to me, but of course my favorite would be Judd Gregg [R], who is the other senator from New Hampshire.

Is there something that has shocked you about how Congress operates that you didn’t realize until you got here?
Sen . Shaheen: I think it has been the extent to which one person can hold up progress and hold up legislation.

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