Senators take taxpayer-funded lunch break to put on goggles and stare at the solar eclipse engulfing the U.S. Capitol in near darkness while joking about holding the ‘first and last’ meeting of the eclipse committee

Time seemed to stand still and normal business on Capitol Hill came to a standstill as lawmakers, aides and the press all peered into the sun.

The lawmakers – usually divided by political leanings – were drawn together, at least temporarily, by an event that has graced humanity for millennia: a solar eclipse.

As the moon moved into position in front of the sun, hundreds of people stood outside the Capitol, many with their mouths open, enjoying the rare celestial show.

Even though Congress has not been in session for the past two weeks – during the Easter and Passover recess – the work apparently could wait a little longer.

Legislative battles over foreign aid funding, an ongoing border security crisis and the ban on TikTok may have been important weeks ago, but apparently not on Monday.

“We have a crescent moon,” Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., told DailyMail.com as he stared at the sun. “I’ve never seen the sun in this condition.”

Two Democratic senators stepped outside the Capitol on Monday to watch the solar eclipse

Partly cloudy skies in Washington, DC did not completely obscure people’s view of the solar eclipse on Monday

He said the weather provided “really great conditions” for the eclipse and it was like “an upside-down night.”

“First and last meeting of the Commission on the Eclipse,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., joked in a post on stare .

He was accompanied by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told DailyMail.com that he saw a crescent moon crashing into the space normally occupied by the sun.

It was the first time he had ever seen a solar eclipse.

For many viewers at the Capitol, Monday was also likely the first time they had watched a solar eclipse.

There were audible ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ as the moon entered totality – the brief moment when the moon’s body is at its zenith, blocking out the bright sun.

Many began to applaud as they looked upward, similar to the kind of clapping you hear after a long flight or the end of a moving movie.

Special glasses adorned the faces of the spectators outside.

The thin paper frames filled with black film-like lenses were a dime a dozen, almost everyone had them.

Inside, however, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DY, delivered remarks to the floor.

It was perhaps one of the least watched floor speeches ever delivered by the longtime Democratic leader, as much of his normal audience sat outside watching the eclipse.

But what the powerful leader said was secondary to staring into the sun, even after a two-week break.

Nevertheless, after delivering remarks on the floor urging Speaker Mike Johnson to approve aid to Ukraine, Schumer was able to catch a glimpse of the eclipse from the balcony of his office.

He, like many other Capitol Hill workers, didn’t want to miss the fun because of his work commitments.

Senator Manchin clapped as the moon crossed the sun on Monday

Senator Durbin looks into the sun as he watches the total solar eclipse outside the Capitol

Senate pages wear eclipse glasses as they watch the moon partially cover the sun during a total solar eclipse on Monday

Congressional aides stand on the steps of the Senate and peer into the sun to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse

Americans also headed to the nearby National Mall to watch the rare event

The brief break from business as usual was celebrated among the Capitol Hill crowd, with many mentioning that the rare experience was worth the equally brief break from work.

As the moon and sun continued their opposite paths, the area began to brighten and the must-see moment had come and gone.

The crowd of Capitol Hill staffers bowed their heads, removed their paper glasses and began shuffling inside.

The next time they will get a similar solar equinox break will be in 2044, much to their chagrin.