Vote-a-drama: Senate reporters running on fumes see the funny side
The article discusses the recent Senate vote on President Donald Trump’s substantial legislative bill,which concluded after a marathon voting session lasting over 24 hours. Journalists at the Capitol reported on the chaotic atmosphere, sharing their experiences and interactions during the lengthy process. One reporter humorously compared the situation to scenes from popular culture to convey the exhaustion felt among the press.
Senator Markwayne Mullin playfully bet reporters food in exchange for their silence if the vote concluded before sunrise, but as it did not end until noon, he ultimately lost the wager. The session highlighted the intense and sometimes amusing moments experienced by reporters covering the Senate. Following the vote, Senate reporters were relieved to head home for rest, while the legislative process continued as the bill would need to return to the House for approval. The entertaining anecdotes shared by reporters emphasized the unique challenges of covering such an exhaustive voting session.
Vote-a-drama: Senate reporters running on fumes see the funny side to marathon vote
The Senate voted to pass President Donald Trump‘s “big, beautiful bill” on Tuesday at noon, concluding a vote-a-rama that lasted more than 24 hours.
As the voting session began Monday morning and dragged on through the night, reporters remained at the Capitol to track everything that was happening in the chamber. One Congress reporter from NBC News posted before-and-after pictures of the Capitol refectory on X.
“If you’re curious how the vibes in the Capitol are going, here’s what the drink cooler in the refectory looked like this morning vs what it looks like now,” Frank Thorp V said.
A Congress reporter from the Wall Street Journal also spoke about the marathon vote on Tuesday morning.
“Vibe when the end of a vote-a-rama is near,” said Olivia Beavers, posting a GIF from the Titanic on X that said, “it’s been 84 years.”
Though many reporters were running on energy drinks and little sleep throughout the night, their Capitol campout had its fun moments, too. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) made a wager with reporters on Monday evening and promised to buy them all food if the vote went past sunrise on Tuesday morning. If it didn’t, reporters couldn’t ask him questions for a week.
But with the vote not concluding until noon on Tuesday, it’s safe to say the senator lost the bet.
“We owe a LOT of journos,” said one of Mullin’s staff in a post on X.
While senators rushed to their cars following the vote to make their Fourth of July plans, Senate reporters stumbled home to their beds to catch up on sleep.
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Other congressional reporters arriving at Capitol Hill today passed these exhausted Senate reporters on their way out.
“When I was walking from Union to the Hill, I passed a bunch of Senate reporters, which was funny because we were physically switching spots,” said Lauren Green, a congressional reporter for the Washington Examiner.
But the House reporters will not escape unscathed. The bill will now return to the House so representatives can vote on the Senate’s revised version of it. Liz Elkind, a House reporter for Fox News, posted a picture on X of a roller coaster with skeletons and people, captioning it “Senate reporters // House reporters.”
— Liz Elkind (@liz_elkind) July 1, 2025
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