Overview

• Eighth graders from Zeta Charter Schools arrived for a long-planned visit as official Capitol tours were canceled because guides were furloughed.
• Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez personally escorted the group into the building and visited key sites including the Rotunda and Senate chambers.
• The tour included a member-only reading room used by women in Congress and stories about figures such as Patsy Mink and Shirley Chisholm, according to her office and chaperones.
• She posted clips on Bluesky and TikTok, and a reshared video on X drew millions of views as users praised the gesture; a school representative thanked her publicly.
• Capitol tours remain suspended during the government shutdown, though lawmakers can still bring in constituents for informal visits.