With Father’s Day approaching, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) engaged in a bit of a friendly competition.
Sitting across a table from one another, the two Republican lawmakers sought to see who could make the other laugh first with a series of dad jokes — those hilariously cheesy gags made famous by fathers.
“Why did the scarecrow receive an award?” a stone-faced Ryan asked McHenry in a video posted on the Speaker’s YouTube channel.
{mosads}
“Tell me,” the North Carolina Republican replied.
“Because he was outstanding in his field,” Ryan quipped. “Pretty good, isn’t it?”
“Two guys walk into a bar,” McHenry said, setting up a joke. “The third guy ducks.”
“This is really horrible,” he said, suppressing a laugh.
The congressmen’s jokes then shifted into an exchange of word play.
“What does an angry pepper do?” Ryan asked. “It gets jalapeño face.”
“Did you hear the story about a cheese factory that blew up, exploded, in Wisconsin?” McHenry asked.
“Actually I have,” Ryan responds. “But go ahead.”
“Tragic story,” McHenry continues. “All that was left of it was ‘da brie.’ “
The clear winner of the contest? Ryan, who managed to keep a relatively stoic expression throughout the exchange. McHenry acknowledged the loss with ease.
“Alright, you win,” he said, extending a handshake to Ryan.