“We spared no expense.”  

House aide Tom Brandt took to heart the phrase made famous by fictional eccentric billionaire John Hammond in the 1993 film “Jurassic Park” in orchestrating the ultimate send-off for his friend, Senate staffer Mitch Erdel.  

In preparation for Erdel’s last day working for Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Brandt, the communications director for House GOP Conference Vice Chairwoman Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, showed up on May 21 at the Capitol’s East Front in his jeep, adorned with a “Jurassic Park” decal he’d purchased on eBay especially for the occasion.  

The purpose of the exercise?  So Erdel could pose like this …

… in homage to the scene featuring Sam Neill and Laura Dern as paleontologists and apparently reckless observers in a dangerous theme park filled with cloned dinosaurs.  

The former photo was taken by Ken Farnaso, a special assistant to National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore. That’s Brandt kneeling down in front to snap his own shot, and of course that’s Erdel in the spot of honor.  

Clever boys. The 114th: CQ Roll Call’s Guide to the New Congress Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.