Congressman eats burrito, crosses U.S.-Mexico border in Snapchat story

WASHINGTON — It’s not often that everyday citizens get to spend an entire day with a member of Congress, from the moment they wake up until the time they head home.

But that’s what Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke did Friday when he documented a full day onSnapchat. The 43-year-old Democrat began his day letting his cat into his El Paso home at 6:35 a.m., ate a bean-and-cheese burrito for breakfast and later crossed into Mexico to grab lunch in Juarez, Mexico — just across the border from his El Paso district.

O’Rourke also answered questions submitted on Twitter, including telling everyone who his favorite president was (spoiler: Abraham Lincoln). Later that day, he met with a border patrol agent before crossing into Juarez, where showed off some of his favorite restaurants, as well as sights and sounds from the Mexican city.

Since he came to Congress in 2013, O’Rourke has made connecting with his constituents using social media a priority. His office rarely uses press releases. Instead, it does most of its communication via Twitter and Facebook — where he posts his bill positions and interacts with constituents.

He’s one of a growing number of politicians to use the social media platform to humanize themselves and be as transparent as they can about their daily lives in an era when elected officials are as unpopular as ever with the American electorate.

“Government in the 21st Century should engage people where they are,” O’Rourke said in a statement to Mashable. “Today, more than 60 percent of 13 to 34 year olds with a smartphone are using Snapchat. I want to encourage them to get involved with government, expect more transparency from their elected officials and get real-time updates about the work we are doing on their behalf.”

A handful of other members of Congress, including Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, a former Real World cast member, are also using the social media platform.

Source:Mashable