WASHINGTON — Towards the end of my hour-long, exclusive sit down with Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) late last month — after I’d asked about her transition to Washington, her policy priorities and her thoughts on contemporary political debates — there was one question I knew I couldn’t leave without addressing.

WASHINGTON — To understand Wyoming Rep. Harriet Hageman’s policy priorities, one needs to look no further than at the decor of her Capitol Hill office.

Her large wooden desk is piled high with papers: notes and documents from recent hearings and research into upcoming bills to be introduced, she said.

WASHINGTON — It was a Friday morning in late April and the congresswoman was already behind schedule.

Making her way down the long hallway on the fifth floor of the Longworth House Office Building — smaller than the Rayburn complex but no less confusing to navigate — the click-clack of her shoes echoed throughout the empty chambers. The place was mostly deserted, save for a few staffers dressed in khakis and plaid shirts for casual Friday.