Candy Desk

The Candy Desk is a container filled with sweets table in the meeting room of the U.S. Senate. The table, which serves as the workplace of a Republican senator, is in the last row near the entrance hall. Senators who pass there are free to use of stored in a drawer candy. The tradition goes back to Senator George Murphy of California, which was first stocked in 1968 his table with sweets.

Murphy managed the candy originally 1965, to satisfy his own appetite. Since other senators also served on the sweets, the table was in 1968 declared Candy Desk for all. When Murphy left the Senate in 1971, put his successor in this seat continues the tradition. In the first decades of the senator bought the candy from their own money, with other senators subsidized the purchase. The table emigrated in the early years; only since the 97th Congress ( 1981-1983) he has a fixed stand. Also after a few years, the National Confectioners Association began to organize a sponsored topping the table.

During the time of Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania (1997 to 2007), the Company and Hershey Just Born sent, both with headquarters in Pennsylvania, him four times in each 100 pounds of candy, with whom he could replenish his supply. Although officially considered a Essverbot in the boardroom, the ushers were instructed to monitor the stocks in the table drawer and refill if necessary.

Santorum's successor Craig L. Thomas of Wyoming sparked 2007, the " candy - controversy " from. The ethics rules of the Senate to prohibit it from accepting gifts of more than $ 100 value - with the exception of gifts from the home state, which further extends the senator to third parties. However, since Wyoming has no sweets producer appreciable size, he would have to accept gifts from other states. Thomas, himself a member of the Ethics Committee, solved the problem by the products of a few small producers in Wyoming bought from his campaign budget.

Owner of the Candy desk is in the current 112th Senate Mark Kirk of Illinois. He has announced plans to make candy from his home state available: Wrigley's Gum, Garrett Popcorn, Tootsie Rolls and Jelly Bellies.