Rep. Derrick Van Orden rode his motorcycle hundreds of miles to D.C. to avoid potential air travel delays. (Grant Baldwin/Getty Images; Office of Rep. Derrick Van Orden)
Foxx's committee was responsible for preparing federal funding legislation for a House-wide vote, which it did from just before 7 p.m. Tuesday until around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
"She just kind of asked, ‘Hey, would you be willing to carpool?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, not a problem at all.’ I've got a truck, so I've got plenty of room. We could have taken the whole delegation up, just put all the guys in the back," McDowell joked.
He also knew that driving Foxx up earlier than most lawmakers had to be there came with sacrifices.
"Neither of us got to participate in any Veterans Day events in our district, which was a real bummer. But we had an important job to do, and that was make sure our government services and our current troops are getting paid," he said.
McDowell said he spent the roughly five-and-a-half-hour drive asking Foxx questions about her work and her own life, which she happily answered.
Chairwoman Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., arrives for the House Rules Committee hearing in the Capitol on April 9, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, also opted to drive instead of fly — a trip that spanned more than 1,000 miles across 15 hours overnight.
Feenstra said he and two staffers "took turns driving" through the night, stopping only for gas and arriving in Washington some time on Wednesday morning before the vote.
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"I had a lot of Veterans Day events. I wanted to make sure that I was in my district for that. And then, once that was completed at 5 last night, we headed this way," he said. "When that's your only option, you do it. This job — you've got to do whatever you have to."
And Midwestern Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., also took to the roads, but in a different vehicle.
Rep. Randy Feenstra speaks during Iowa’s Roast and Ride on Oct. 11, 2025, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. (Cody Scanlan/The Register/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
"Democrats shut the government down over 40 days ago now. And I could not count on air travel," he told Fox News Digital. "So I talked to my wife for about five seconds and said, 'I'm getting on the motorcycle and leaving.' So I did, and I got here on time."
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Van Orden, who first told The Hill of his plans, said he rode through sub-zero temperatures and had to navigate black ice on the roads. At one point, he stopped at a hotel "for four or five hours" when the environment appeared "sketchy," he said.
"Someone asked me, 'Why don't you just drive a car?' Here's why. We only have one car. And I wasn't going to inconvenience my wife, because she is one of my constituents, and she happens to be my favorite constituent," he said.
"People around here don't seem to understand that the mission is more important than their personal security or comfort. And if more people in this building took their job more seriously and realized it's about the American people than not, then we will be a better country."
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/from-carpools-motorcycles-house-lawmakers-overcome-air-travel-chaos-end-shutdown