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Washington • Sen. Orrin Hatch just scored himself some of the most desirable real estate in the United States Capitol, but he doesn't like to talk about it and your chances of ever seeing it are very slim.
Hatch recently won the spacious hideaway office previously used by the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., who was one of his closest friends. The suite tucked away on a rarely used corridor on the Capitol's third floor has remained empty since Kennedy died in late 2009. The Senate Rules Committee recently made its secretive selections, based largely on seniority.
Every senator gets a secret office, known as a hideaway, marked only by a number on the door. For many senators, that usually means a small drab basement office adorned with an old desk, similar to what former Sen. Bob Bennett had. But for those who are near the top of the food chain, the hideaways can have high vaulted ceilings, picturesque views of the Washington Monument and even a place to take a nap during marathon sessions.
"I've had some very interesting hideaways held by some very prestigious senators," said Hatch, who is tied as the most senior-ranking Republican with Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar. "I just never really talk about it, and there is a good reason for that. It is tradition."
Generally, Hatch says he uses his hideaway for occasional negotiations on legislation or a place to quietly read and write, but he says for the large part it remains vacant.
Kennedy occasionally let reporters into his coveted hideaway, including a C-SPAN camera crew. They describe a space three times as big as other hideaways with rich green walls and carpet and comfortable seating around a rare fireplace. Kennedy covered the walls with pictures and paintings of his famous family.
The Hill, which first reported that Hatch secured the space, says it is has since been painted white and has varnished wood floors.
Mike Lee, Utah's newest senator, is still waiting for the Rules Committee to assign him a hideaway, something he says is supposed to happen this summer.