There is much to see and do while you are in Washington D.C. Congresswoman Musgrave has provided a comprehensive list of sights to take in with contact information for you to check specific hours and viewing procedures.
There are two tours that the Congresswoman's office can assist you with.
One of them is a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building, and the other is a tour of the White House.
Capitol Tour:
The United States Capitol is where Members of Congress cast their votes on our behalf. On this tour you will have the opportunity to see the Rotunda, National Statuary Hall, the Old Supreme Court Chamber and more. This is a unique opportunity to see a marvelous piece of our history while witnessing first hand, the operation of our federal government.
This tour lasts about an hour and is scheduled, and given, by a member of the Congresswoman's staff. Capitol Tours are available Monday - Friday from 9:30am to 4:00pm Eastern Time (excluding holidays). To schedule a tour of the U.S. Capitol, please call Congresswoman Musgrave's Washington D.C. office at (202) 225-4676. Please call at least a week in advance and ask to speak with the "Tour Coordinator."
(Note: The Capitol may also be viewed on a public tour. For more information on public tours, visit: http://www.aoc.gov/cc/visit/index.cfm )
While in the Capitol building you will have the opportunity to view the House floor from the gallery seating area. The House floor is where members of congress debate issues and vote; where the State of the Union address is given and joint sessions of congress take place. In order to do this you must have "Gallery Passes" which are provided through our congressional office.
Often times people will choose to obtain and use gallery passes in conjunction with their Capitol tour, however it is not necessary. You may obtain gallery passes separately, simply by stopping in the Congresswoman's Washington D.C. office once you're in town. You may also call the Tour Coordinator at (202) 225-4676 to have the passes mailed to you ahead of time. Please request as many gallery passes as you need. They are good for the entire year.
White House:
The White house is the residence of the President and First Lady. On a tour of the White House you will see the oldest portion of the White House. This portion includes the Entrance and Crosshalls, State Dining Room, Red Room, Blue Room, Green Room, and the East Room. This tour is self-guided and typically lasts about 45 minutes.
In order to tour the White House, a request must be made on your behalf by Congresswoman Musgrave's office. During the request process we will tell the White House Tour Office which days you are available to tour. The White House Tour Office will take that request, and along with the other requests from other congressional offices, create their tour schedule. Tours are scheduled between 7:30am - 12:30pm Easter Time, Tuesday through Saturday.
Once the request is made, we must wait until one month before your visit to hear the outcome. At that time, the White House will contact Congresswoman Musgrave's office with the results, and then we will contact you.
If your group is scheduled for a tour, it will be for a specific appointment date and time. Unfortunately, there is no flexibility with the date, time, or the number in your group. You will be required to gather and submit a social security number, date of birth, and country of origin for each individual going on the tour. This information will be submitted securely, via email to the Secret Service who will conduct a background check on each person. This policy is not flexible. Anyone who does not provide security information, or who does not pass the background check, will not be permitted to tour the White House.
Again, the congressional office only submits the formal request, but has no influence on which groups get in and which do not. Because the tours are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis, please call several months in advance. Please do not send a letter or email, but call Congresswoman Musgrave's "Tour Coordinator" at (202) 225-4676 to initiate the process.
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