Three women AIDS activists saying they wanted to highlight the ”naked truth” about potential spending cuts in HIV programs were arrested after taking their clothes off in the lobby of House Speaker John Boehner’s office, the AP reports.

TPM has some of their chants: “Boehner, Boehner, don’t be a dick, budget cuts will make us sick.” And: “Budget cuts are really rude, that’s why we have to be so lewd.”

BuzzFeed has photos.

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) said his former colleague and friend Jesse Jackson Jr. still “can’t take the pressure” of speaking publicly about his resignation, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Said Rush: “Some moments he would be very articulate, very flowing with his thoughts, very much in control and command, but then at the drop of the hat, he just started crying.”

Jackson, who is under treatment for bipolar depression, resigned from Congress last week in the midst of a federal investigation into his campaign finances.

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) told the Knoxville News Sentinel that he “never intentionally misled voters about his past and stressed that he has no plans to resign over recent revelations that depict a private life starkly at odds with his public image as an anti-abortion, family values congressman.”

In his first extensive remarks since the release of a court transcript from his 14-year-old divorce, DesJarlais conceded that he often used “very poor judgment” during his first marriage and said he is not the same man who supported his first wife’s decision to have two abortions.

The physician-turned-lawmaker said he also deeply regrets sexual relationships with multiple women, including two patients and three co-workers.

Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-IL) has resigned from Congress,
submitting his letter of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner this afternoon, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

“Jackson is embroiled in a federal investigation into his campaign accounts, and multiple sources have said he is trying to negotiate a deal with the feds. No such deal is in place, however, a source said.”

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) “reportedly had planned to break his silence Wednesday during a morning conference call with staff but changed his mind,” NBC Chicago reports.

There apparently was some concern the media would join the call.

Jackson was last seen in June before he disappeared on medical leave. Since then he has been diagnosed with bipolar depression and has been the subject of a federal probe.

Smart Politics finds that when the 113th Congress convenes in January, 29.4% of the Democratic caucus will hail from either California or New York  — up from a previous all-time high of 28.1% recorded after the Republican tsunami of 2010.

“While California and New York are two of the three most populous states in the country, it is important to note that the number of representatives from the two states collectively has remained relatively flat over the last 50 years. Since 1962, New York and California have accounted for between no less than 18.2 percent and no more than 19.1 percent of all seats in the nation’s lower legislative chamber.”

A new Gallup Poll finds 65% of Americans believe President Obama will make a sincere effort to work with the Republicans in Congress to find mutually acceptable solutions to the nation’s problems. In addition, 57% also expect the Democrats in Congress to try to work with the opposing party’s leaders, but just 48% say the same of the Republicans.

While the campaign trappings and the high profile of the national campaign are behind him, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) “now finds himself at the center of one of the biggest fiscal negotiations in a generation,” the New York Times reports.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has tapped Ryan “to help strike a deal to avoid big tax increases and spending cuts by the end of the year, and to bring along fellow Republicans.”

“The test will be whether Mr. Ryan — who declined last year to sit on another Congressional committee charged with taming the deficit, in large part because doing so might have hurt his prospects for national office — can make the transition from House budget philosopher to governing heavyweight who can help negotiate a bipartisan deal and sell it to his colleagues.”

“Oh shit, I’m in the wrong meeting. Where are the Republicans meeting?”

— Rep.-elect Chris Collins (R-NY), quoted by Roll Call, when he found out he was in a House Democratic Caucus meeting.

Even though Puerto Rico voted for the first time in favor of statehood, The Economist notes “the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has little incentive to address the topic. According to exit polls, 83% of boricuas on the mainland voted for Barack Obama. Statehood would add two Senate seats and a House delegation of five, the same size as Oregon’s and probably as reliably Democratic.”

“Unless the island holds another vote that yields a different result, however, Puerto Rico has now officially requested statehood. If Democrats retake the House in 2014, they would be well-advised to try to add a 51st star to the flag.”

Documents obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press finds that Tennessee physician and Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) supported his ex-wife’s decision to get two abortions before their marriage.

The Tennessee lawmaker has described himself as “a consistent supporter of pro-life values.”

The couple’s 2001 trial transcript “also confirms DesJarlais had sexual relationships with at least two patients, three coworkers and a drug representative… During one affair with a female patient, DesJarlais prescribed her drugs, gave her an $875 watch and bought her a plane ticket to Las Vegas, records show.”

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) delivered a “blistering farewell speech” on the House floor, The Hill reports.

Said Paul: “In spite of my efforts, the government has grown exponentially, taxes remain excessive, and the prolific increase of incomprehensible regulations continues. Wars are constant and pursued without congressional declaration, deficits rise to the sky, poverty is rampant and dependency on the federal government is now worse than any time in our history. All this with minimal concerns for the deficits and unfunded liabilities that common sense tells us cannot go on much longer.”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told Democratic colleagues
that she wants them to reelect her as House minority leader when they
return from Thanksgiving break, National Journal reports.

No one is expected to challenge her for the top House Democratic spot as a result.

Washington Post: “She said she felt compelled to remain in leadership as Congress and
President Obama embark on an effort to resolve a fiscal crisis that
could jeopardize core government programs. And she vowed to work to
limit the role of money in politics and to empower women in the
workplace and the political arena.”

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) left the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota but it’s not clear if he’s returning to Washington, D.C. for votes scheduled later today, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Jackson is under federal investigation for alleged misuse of campaign funds and has been on a medical leave of absence from Congress since June while undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder.

Politico:
“House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will meet with top Democrats on
Tuesday night — followed by another leadership-only session early
Wednesday as she prepares for a meeting with all House Democrats — but
it is still unclear whether she will stay or go after nearly a decade in
power. Pelosi has declined to discuss her plans since Democrats picked
up as many as eight seats on Election Day.”

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) might step down before the end of the year as part of a plea deal with federal prosecutors investigating possible misuse of campaign funds, CBS 2 reports.

“Under terms of the deal, Jackson would resign for health reasons, plead guilty to misusing campaign funds and possibly do jail time. He’d have to repay any campaign funds that were converted for personal use, and serve at least some jail time.”

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) is heading back to Mayo Clinic — and was reportedly en route Friday evening, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

Jackson has been on a leave of absence from Congress since early last summer and is reportedly being treated for depression and bi-polar disorder.

Said a source who visited Jackson this week: “Jesse wanted you to know he is finding it difficult to continue his treatment because the press is staking out his home and making access to his doctor, who is within a short walking distance from his home, incredibly hard.”

In his first public comments since taking a leave of absence in early June, Rep. Jesse Jackson (D-IL) told The Daily that he is “not well” and has doctor’s appointments twice a day at George Washington University Hospital, not far from his home: “I go over there… at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.”