Any American can be elected to Congress, according to the national canon, but not everyone can easily afford to live in Washington.
The recent controversy over Sen. Norm Coleman's living arrangements in the nation's capital -- downsizing from a luxury apartment to renting a cramped and inexpensive garden-level bedroom from a friend and political ally -- illustrates the problem that keeping two homes can pose for many representatives and senators who aren't independently wealthy.
Most of the 10 members of Minnesota's congressional delegation spend three to four days a week in Washington when Congress is in session, and proximity to the office is key -- even if the cheaper accommodations in the area are typically spartan.
Five members, including Coleman, live on the same block bounded by D Street and North Carolina Avenue S.E., about four blocks southeast of the Capitol, and three live in the same apartment building. Only four own their D.C.-area homes.
But none of the Minnesotans goes to the extremes of Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb.: He stays in his office well past working hours and rests his head on a roll-away bed, said spokeswoman Lisa Ellis. That's an upgrade from his previous sleeping arrangement, she said: a blow-up mattress.
Compare the lifestyle basics for the Minnesota delegation. B5
Sen. Norm Coleman may be alone in renting a basement bedroom, but he's not the only one living in small quarters.
SEN. NORM COLEMAN
