Runyan tours, tends to tasks

WASHINGTON - In his first full day on the job, he got lost in the byzantine basement of the Capitol with his parents, his daughter, and a few friends. He also cast a vote fulfilling a campaign promise to reduce federal spending - specifically, cutting 5 percent of funds allotted for congressional office expenses. And he attended to tasks as mundane as choosing a company to print his business cards.

But one thing new U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan (R., N.J.) didn't do Thursday was read from the Constitution.

The Republicans, clearly influenced by the tea party that helped them regain control of the House of Representatives, had organized the reading of the nation's founding document to highlight their promise to use the Constitution as a guide in all decisions. Democrats participated in the rotation of readers, but the chamber was only a quarter-filled and several members of both parties fiddled on BlackBerries, iPhones, and iPads as the Founders' words were read.

Runyan, who listened for a while before returning to his office, said he chose not to read a passage because he is dyslexic, and has trouble with phonics. He has learned to read aloud by memorizing the sounds of words, but antique English - such as the Constitution's - gives him trouble because it's less familiar.

That is just one minor challenge facing the 37-year-old former Eagles tackle, who represents a disparate congressional district that spreads from Cherry Hill into Burlington and Ocean Counties.

The biggest challenges, for the moment at least, were logistical.

The front door of Runyan's new office on Capitol Hill was locked for part of Thursday morning, unknown to the staffers inside. The remote control for the TV was missing; an assistant used a pole to change the channel to C-SPAN. And the chief of staff was shut out of her computer for much of the day.

With most of Runyan's staff yet to be hired - he doesn't even have a scheduler yet - his barren office was a hangout Thursday for members of his inner circle who had made their way to the swearing-in the day before, including several friends and his parents.

Janice Runyan, 59, kept saying the same word - amazing - when asked how she felt about seeing her son raise his sizable hand to be sworn in as the congressman for New Jersey's Third District.

"When Jon was born, my first thought was, 'Oh, my God, he's going to be president of the United States,' " she said. "It just popped into my head."

Runyan's mother said that in the intervening 37 years she never told a soul about that thought, because it would have sounded too absurd. She said she finally revealed it on the November night that her son defeated Democrat John Adler.

Runyan's governmental career is just two days old, though, so whether he ever considers pursuing the highest office in the land "will be Jon's choice," his mother said. "Anything's possible."

Janice Runyan, on her first trip to the nation's capital, was clearly in awe as a 25-year-old legislative assistant led Runyan's family and friends on a tour through the Capitol's spectacularly decorated corridors. The group passed a statue of New Jersey's own Richard Stockton, who signed the Declaration of Independence. Oil portraits of George Washington seemed to greet them at every turn.

For a few minutes the group got lost on a back byway; Runyan had to duck to avoid an overhead smoke detector.

Twice, he stepped away from the tour - first to cast his vote for reducing funding to congressional offices, then to hand in his signed oath of office. Joining the tour were two old friends - Matt DeYoung, who played football with Runyan at the University of Michigan, and Jerry D'Addesi, who met Runyan seven years ago while working at Vesuvio, a restaurant in South Philadelphia.

Runyan escorted his entourage into a viewing section reserved for members' families and friends. As just six representatives watched from a nearly deserted House floor, a congressman was making a speech about jobs.

"I'm dumbfounded by the fact that no one is here, no one is paying attention," D'Addesi said. He asked his friend what the deal was.

That was one rope Runyan had already learned: Members could follow floor speeches on C-SPAN. "You can watch it in your office while you're doing other things," he said.

In the Capitol's crypt, an ornate circular room with statues of the Founding Fathers, Runyan peered at a topographical map of the capital city. He pointed out the location of his new efficiency apartment, just a 15-minute walk away.

Runyan had never been inside the Capitol until the campaign, when he met with Republican leaders. Now, he is learning his way around and getting to know some colleagues. This week he talked with two of the region's Democrats, Robert Andrews of South Jersey and Bob Brady of Philadelphia.

With the only other member of Congress who played pro football, Heath Shuler (D., N.C.), he discussed the labor dispute in the NFL that Congress might have to deal with.

"Really, they're normal people," Runyan said of the other representatives. He said there are cliques on the House floor that claim certain areas as their territory.

Back at the office, a young aide with a law degree worked the front desk, busily fielding phone calls, letters, and visits from various people who wanted a piece of the new congressman's time.

Many callers were constituents. "I see a lot of 856s and 609s on the caller ID," Runyan said. In addition, job seekers sent resumes, printers showed off sample business cards, and lobbyists from the energy, defense, and health-care sectors asked if they could say hi.

"The phones were ringing when I walked in on Monday," said Stacy Barton, Runyan's chief of staff. "The people's needs don't stop."