As the newly-Republican Congress reshuffles its agenda to include a vote on the Keystone XL pipeline and an attempted overhaul of the president’s executive action on immigration, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) will be busy — buying Hershey bars. The senator has been assigned to the chamber’s official “candy desk.”

The candy desk is apparently a decades-old tradition that began in 1965 when then Sen. George Murphy of California, who shared his sweet stash with the other men around him. (Unrelated fun fact — in 1965, there were just two women in the Senate. Today there are 20 female senators.)

Now, whoever is in the desk closest to the most popular chamber entrance is charged with providing fellow senators, regardless of party, with candy from their home state. Fortunately for the lawmakers, Pennsylvania is home to plenty of candy companies, including all Hershey products; Hot Tamales in Philadelphia as well as Peanut Chews; a Mars factory in Elizabethtown that produces Three Musketeers; and Wilbur in Lititz.

Toomey said his new spot required “Mounds of responsibility” and hopes it will “sweeten the bitter partisan atmosphere.”

Democrats said they have their own candy desk, thank you very much.