A dozen of New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s staffers huddled around a loading dock in the basement of the Hart Building, eagerly awaiting a special delivery.
When a U-Haul truck arrived, they began unloading coolers filled with food and drinks, clearing the way for the main event — an 8-foot-tall moose named Marty and a bear named Kodak.
Moving the stuffed animals onto a dolly, they wheeled them to a nearby freight elevator and up to the fifth floor. At one point Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski walked past with a small crowd of reporters, seemingly unfazed by a moose on the loose.
It’s a yearly spectacle at the Capitol to kick off the Experience New Hampshire event, which highlights businesses from the Granite State and joins a handful of other long-standing traditions that liven up the Senate’s otherwise humdrum calendar.
But some of those traditions have an uncertain fate as departing members prepare to leave the Hill, with more than 10 percent of the Senate not returning next year. This week marked the 15th time Shaheen has hosted the event — and also her last, since she won’t be seeking reelection.
