“So a Democrat and a Republican are stranded on a deserted island…”

It sounds like the beginning of  a bad joke. But believe it or not, this is no joke.

Two senators, Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) have volunteered to do a new reality show on Discovery Channel, Rival Survival. The show will strand the two senators on a deserted island with limited resources for six days and six nights.

Discovery Channel released the following synopsis of the show:

In RIVAL SURVIVAL, our senatorial adversaries turned survival teammates are given a modest choice of items from which they can select only three. Using only these limited resources and their wits, the pair must work together as they attempt to spear fish, build shelter and find enough water to survive for one week. There is no natural source for fresh water on Eru, and what lives in the ocean will be their major food source. This unusual pairing will leave behind the daily life of congressional staff, senate hearings and committee meetings to navigate the rigors of surviving on an isolated island with no contact with the outside world to call upon for help.

It comes as a surprise to everyone, but the reason behind the show is actually quite nice.

In a joint statement released by the two senators, they said “We can both attest that no one is more frustrated than those of us trying to get things done in this environment. We recognize how difficult it can be to cut through the partisanship. So we decided to do something completely out of the ordinary and frankly a little extreme to show the world and our colleagues that even if you have serious differences, if you want to survive you have to work together.”

Neither of the senators are up for re-election this year, and neither were compensated for their appearance on the show. “We kept it quiet. The good thing about being back-bencher senators is you can slip away for a week.” said Flake. “This was not (taxpayer-funded). This was a personal expense, completely, every dime. We were extremely careful with all the rules and went through the ethics committee.”

Flake is one of the more moderate of the conservatives in the Senate, but what is there definitely shows. He has been attacking government spending and is a member of the “Gang of 8” that tried to reform immigration policies. Heinrich is more liberal, being described as a conservationist and a progressive voice for New Mexico.

The show premieres on October 29th at 10pm.

I know I’m watching this, and I hope that this actually becomes a full blown series with more senators being involved in it. This is certainly a fun way to reach across the aisle! Can’t wait to see it!

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