Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke and Republican Rep. Will Hurd, both from Texas, decided to take an impromptu road trip from their home state to Washington, D.C. after both of their flights were canceled due to the East Coast snowstorm on Tuesday.
O'Rourke and Hurd both attended an event in San Antonio, Texas on Monday. After both of their flights were canceled, the bipartisan duo decided to rent a car together and hold a Facebook live town hall during the drive.
Starting the day off right at Mi Tierra Cafe before hitting the road for work. 24 hrs to DC. Co-pilot @HurdOnTheHill pic.twitter.com/wZHHF2KQXC
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) March 14, 2017
The pair decided to drive through Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee after stopping by the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. O'Rourke and Hurd plan to arrive in Washington D.C. in time for Wednesday night's House votes.
During the road trip, the congressmen both agreed they would hear each other out.
"They both agreed that it's good to hear someone else's perspective and that when you get to know someone well–like on a road trip–you can have uncomfortable conversations and eventually find areas of cooperation on various issues," CBS News reported.
Hurd told the Washington Free Beacon that Democrats and Republicans do not need to agree on policy but must be able to work together to find common ground.
"Democrats and Republicans don't need to agree on everything, but we need to be able to talk to each other and solve problems together," Hurd said. "When Beto and I left San Antonio, we had no expectations but wanted to show the public that it's possible for members of opposite parties to discuss important issues and disagree without being disagreeable."
"The outpouring of support we received showed me that America has an appetite for working together to achieve real results, and I hope that it inspires others–in politics and in everyday life–to spend more time getting to know each other," the congressman added.
On Tuesday morning, O'Rourke began streaming on Facebook Live.
"I suggested that we rent a car, drive across a country, beat the blizzard by road, and hold a live town hall while doing it," O'Rourke told his Facebook Live viewers.
On Wednesday, Hurd began another Facebook Live town hall.
In addition to politics, the two got to know each other on a personal level.
"I heard he was in a band," Hurd said of O'Rourke. "I've also learned that he really likes donuts."
UPDATE March 16, 12:50 P.M.: This post was updated to include comment from Rep. Will Hurd (R., Texas).