Congress Pauses Cigar Habit for King Charles

0:00On April 2, 8, Congress has a bunch of cigar-loving lawmakers, but they're hitting paws on their habit this week out of respect for King Charles' visit to Washington. House appropriations chairman Tom Cole from Oklahoma got the word directly from speaker Mike Johnson to skip smoking in his office Monday and Tuesday. That's because his spot is right next to the photo-op area for the King's Big Meeting Greet. King Charles arrived for a two-day stay in the Capitol before heading to New York City. Meanwhile, insiders no other Republicans like Troy Niels from Texas, Guy Ression Dollar and Dan Moser from Pennsylvania, and Byron Donald's from. Florida often puffs cigars around the Capitol, even if not always indoors. Capitol Hill has dodged strict no-smoking rules that hit everywhere else decades ago, keeping those smoky backroom vibes alive. Folks like former speaker John Banner were legendary for chain smoking cigarettes and later cigars with lobbyists. King JD Vance joked his Senate office back in January 2024 had the most smokers around.

1:03Byron Donald's, eyeing a run for Florida Governor, even pushed a bill last year to shield small cigar shops from heavy federal rules. With the irony hits hard with the British side, King Charles has long campaigned against tobacco, yanking royal approval from a big cigarette company, back in 1998, an urging family to quit. Queen Camilla ditched her decades-long habit after marrying Charles and Prince Harry Quit, too, after meeting Megan. Their royals' family tree is riddled with smoking woes, from lung cancer taking King George VI at 56 to others battling bronchitis and heart issues, making this no-smoke request a fitting nod to their health history.