The cloakrooms are located in the Capitol, with doors leading directly into the House and Senate chambers. In the early years of Congress, they were originally used to store Members' coats and personal belongings while they were on the floor. After Members were given their own offices (House in 1908 and Senate in 1909), the cloakrooms became private Member lounges. They are long, narrow L-shaped enclosed rooms at the back of the chamber. Many Members enter and leave the floor by going through their party's cloakroom, and it's the first place staff look for missing Members.

What goes on in there? Food, phones, frivolity, and fights. They are noisy, smelly, and cramped spaces. The House cloakrooms both have snack bars (basic diner food, e.g. hot dogs, sandwiches, and soups, and yes, they have to pay), but when they're still voting late into the night, it's better than nothing. Senators don't have snack bars, but Senate catering sends left-over food platters from receptions to the cloakrooms, so there is usually something to nosh on.

All the cloakrooms have old-fashioned phone booths and the cloakroom staff tell Members which numbered booth they can use to take or make a call. There are stacks of flyers from the Whip offices about the floor schedule; from outside groups stating their position about that day's votes, and copies of leadership Dear Colleague letters to their troops. The furnishings are modest, even a little shabby: large leather lounge chairs, sofas, and many ash-trays because that's where all the serious smokers hang-out. Talk about a smoke-filled room, the cloakrooms are it! There are wall-mounted television sets and regular tiffs about the remote control. Sometimes sports events are favored over the floor proceedings occurring just on the other side of the door.

Members often hang-out in the cloakroom to (1) hide from their staff for some privacy and down-time; (2) wait inbetween votes so they don't have to trek back from their office building; (3) snooze; (4) have personal and/or political conversations with one another.

Leadership staff have come-and-go privileges, as do the pages. No other staff may enter without first having been summoned by a Member. Each cloakroom has its own staff, who work out of an unbelievably cramped corner area. They answer the phones, take and deliver phone messages to Members on the floor. They answer hundreds of questions each day about the floor schedule, e.g. what's on after this vote, when is the next vote, when is adjournment expected? Besides Members and congressional staff, many journalists call the cloakroom for the most up-to-date information on these vital matters. Because of the overwhelming volume of calls each cloakroom has its own taped scheduled floor hot-line, updated throughout the day. Here are the numbers. All area codes are (202): House Republican, 225-7430. House Democratic, 225-7400. Senate Republican, 224-8601. Senate Democratic, 224-8541.