Hastert offers Cheney office in Capitol

By Chris Black/CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Dennis Hastert has offered Vice President-elect Dick Cheney an office on the House side of the Capitol building.

John Feehery, a spokesman for Hastert, confirmed reports from Republican senators that Hastert made the offer.

Feehery said the office would be a Capitol "hideaway," a small office Cheney could use for private meetings with House members.

As the vice president and presiding officer of the Senate, Cheney will have an office suite on the Senate side of the Capitol, just off the floor of the Senate.

Sen. Charles Grassley, the Iowa Republican and incoming chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, last week joked that GOP senators intended to set up a cot for Cheney after the inauguration. The new Senate coming in January 3 will be divided 50-50 between the two political parties, the first even split in 120 years, and the vice president will be the tie breaker.

For 17 days in January, between January 3 and January 20, Vice President Al Gore will be the tie breaker, giving Democrats control of the Senate. Control will shift to Republicans with Cheney's vote after he takes office.