Representative gives farewell toast, opens a beer on floor of US House

One-term Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-SC, might not be leaving the US House the way he wanted to, but he certainly was going to make the best out of his November election defeat.

Giving a farewell speech on the floor of the House on Thursday, Cunningham pulled out a can of beer from his jacket and opened it. Cunningham was toasting bipartisanship during his address on the floor.

"For the betterment of this country, we have to come together. We have to sit down and listen to each other and maybe even have a beer. The spirit of the bipartisanship and cooperation. I raised this glass to my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans,” Cunningham said.

It’s unclear if Cunningham actually finished the beer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi requires House members to keep their masks on while in the chamber.

Cunningham lost re-election last month in a tight race against Republican Nancy Mace. Cunningham scored a narrow victory in South Carolina in 2018. Cunningham claimed the seat that was held by prominent Republican and the state’s former Gov. Mark Sanford.