It’s time again for Take Five, when HOH  talks with a member of Congress about topics relatively unrelated to legislative work.  

Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, tells us about the CIA and shooting hoops, and reveals his love of breakfast tacos.  

Q. You worked at the CIA for nine years. What was the best part? The best part of working at the CIA really was being in exotic places and dealing with the most important national security issues of the day. And being around a bunch of people who were, you know, “Yes was the answer; what was the question?” [types]. Really high-speed, low-drag folks.  

Q. As a Texan, I have to assume that you love a good barbecue. Have you had any luck finding good barbecue in Washington, D.C., or do you have a favorite place to eat here? Hill Country. Hill Country is pretty fantastic. The guy who started it, you probably know the story already, he spent his summers as a kid in central Texas, about an hour and a half, two hours north of San Antonio. Its pretty good, and they have Blue Bell ice cream, too, which is pretty amazing.  

For me, being from San Antonio, Tex-Mex is my favorite. Tex-Mex in San Antonio is very different than getting it anywhere else in the state. It’s kind of like Cajun food in New Orleans. You can get Cajun food other places, but it is so different in New Orleans. When I lived [in D.C.] back in 2000, my favorite place was El Paso Café in Ballston off of Pershing and Glebe [roads.] I’m happy that there is District Taco now, so I can get my breakfast taco fix.  

Q. You live just outside of San Antonio. What do you tell people they have to do when they visit? Well, you have to see the Alamo for sure. You have to eat breakfast tacos — seriously, that’s a must. You got to have a margarita on the River Walk.  

A great time to go to San Antonio is during Fiesta. It’s kind of like our version of Mardi Gras. Usually you have to go two-stepping somewhere. … You could even end [the day] with a breakfast taco.  

Q. Do you play any sports, and are you involved with any of the congressional teams yet? I play basketball. I played basketball in high school. My closest friends are these knuckleheads I’ve know since I was 13 years old playing basketball at John Marshall High School in San Antonio. We still play at the same park that we have been playing at for the last 23 to 25 years.  

Q. Favorite pastime? A. I’m a bachelor, so [in] my free time … I’m with my brother or sister, or my parents or my best friends. I love going to the movies.  

The 114th: CQ Roll Call’s Guide to the New Congress


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