Elemental Wellness Political Check in: Update on Burris offered Capitol Hill office space

January 6, 2009
Burris offered Capitol Hill office space
Posted: 12:27 PM ET

From CNN Political Editor Mark Preston
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has offered Senate Appointee Roland Burris office space not far from the Capitol.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Now that Roland Burris has been turned away from the Senate, where will he hang his hat?

Since Burris has not been sworn in as a senator, he doesn’t have an office in the Russell, Dirksen or the Hart Senate Office Buildings that house the nation’s 100 senators and support staff.

But Burris will have a Capitol Hill view if he chooses.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has offered Burris space in the state’s Washington office, which rests at the foot of Capitol Hill.

“The way we look at it is that Roland Burris is the junior senator from Illinois,” Clayton Harris, the governor’s acting chief of staff, told CNN Tuesday. “So if necessary, if he needs office space, we have made it available as we would do for any Illinois senator or representative (in Washington) just as we would in the state of Illinois at any of our facilities.”

Harris said Burris is aware of the offer, but has not indicated if he would be working out of the Illinois state office.

Update: A Burris associate tells CNN that Burris rejected Senates offer to use his office space.

– CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this report