Freshman Representatives Start First Day In Congress

SIEGEL: That's Republican Mimi Walters, of California. We'll also be checking in with freshman Democratic Congressman Ruben Gallego. He is a Chicago-born son of Latino immigrants, raised by a single mother. He went to Harvard, enlisted in the Marine Corps, served in Iraq and followed his girlfriend, now his wife, to Phoenix. He became a state legislator, and last November, he won Arizona's seventh Congressional District.

REPRESENTATIVE RUBEN GALLEGO: You grow up being told that you can do whatever you want. You know, follow your American dream and I guess I was one of those foolish little kids that actually did believe it, and I'm here.

SIEGEL: A couple of weeks ago, our producer, Matt Ozug, met with you in the Longworth cafeteria - that's the cafeteria at the Longworth House Office Building.

GALLEGO: Yeah.

SIEGEL: You didn't have an office yet at...

GALLEGO: No.

SIEGEL: That time, so you met in the cafeteria. And you remarked on how, at age 35 - and a rather youthful looking 35 - you know, you weren't convincing a lot of people that you actually belonged in the Longworth House Office Building.

GALLEGO: (Laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

GALLEGO: Well, so far, I mean, I've gotten, you know, I've been stopped a lot by security and rerouted to different areas. So like no, no, no, this is for congressman building staff. Go that way. As in, like, I'm supposed to - they think I'm staff. I've been asked twice, like, whose - who I'm interning for.

(Laughter) Yeah, it's (laughter) you know, it's a good problem to have and, you know, I just have to live with that good curse, I guess (laughter).

SIEGEL: That's a lot better than who's that old guy trying to get into the office, right?

GALLEGO: Exactly, yeah (laughter).

SIEGEL: You are a Democrat and the Democrats are very much in the minority in this house. Is there any sense you have at all of, you know, I wish we could - I wish I could be part of the process of actually accomplishing things and being positive during the next couple of years?