Manchin says his constituents don’t believe it’s him. | Courtesy of Sen. Joe Manchin Senators answer their own phones

It’s come to this: Senators are answering the phones at their offices.

Due to the government shut down, most offices are operating with skeleton staffs. A sign hung on Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran’s door in the Dirksen building Wednesday morning noting that the office is closed. Calls are going unanswered and constituent feedback is being missed.


Except for senators like Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.), who are taking on some of the Hill’s more menial work.

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“By God, I said the hell with it. We’re going to answer the phones,” Manchin told a POLITICO reporter who dialed into his main office line. “When those meetings are over I grab the phones.”

Manchin explained that his constituents don’t believe it’s him when he answers their calls to his office — and he said a lot of them are worried about the shutdown.

“I reassure them that we can work our way through this,” Manchin said.

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Heller’s been tweeting pictures of him working the lines at his office, encouraging other senators to join in.