Party House

It may not be pretty, but these 3 congressmen call it ‘home sweet home’when they're in Washington.

- Jonathan D. Salant

WHEN CONGRESS IS IN SESSION,Josh Gottheimer can’t seem to get away from Jimmy Panetta and Tom Suozzi.

After long days of congressional committee hearings, floor debates, receptions and perhaps a fundraising event, Gottheimer, New Jersey’s newest member of the U.S. House of Representatives, goes home to an apartment he shares with Panetta, of California,and Suozzi, of New York.

The men are with each other nearly 24/7, and that’s just the way they want it.

The Democratic lawmakers seem to be in a real-life sequel to “Alpha House,” the Amazon.com political satire by Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau based on the experiences of U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer(D-N.Y.) and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and then-Rep.George Miller (D-Calif.), who shared arow house in Washington for 20 years.

Panetta, Suozzi and Gottheimer,who represents New Jersey’s 5th District, live together in a third-floor apartment in a red brick building just off (fittingly) New Jersey Avenue SE.

The surrounding neighborhood is filled with new construction spurred by its proximity to Nationals Park, home of Washington’s major league baseball team, just four blocks away.

Gottheimer, Suozzi and Panetta aren’t the only congressmen rooming together these days. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who is recovering from a gunshot wound after he was targeted during a practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game in June, lives with fellow Republican Reps. Kevin Brady, of Texas; John Shimkus, of Illinois; and Erik Paulsen, of Minnesota.

Panetta says he wanted to share an apartment with other House members because his father, Leon, a former defense secretary and U.S. representative, lived for a time in the Schumer, Durbin and Miller row house.