These senators’ silence extends to even pet issues — like Obamacare for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) or banking policy for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). When confronted with a national reporter in the Capitol hallways, these normally voluble senators suddenly clam up.

The silent treatment is a stark departure from past practices when reporters and senators enjoyed more personal relationships and extended conversations. But it may be the safer bet for these high-profile newsmakers at a time when the news cycle is lightning swift and almost anything a public official says can end up on Twitter or drive a cable-news cycle. And not in a good way.

Among the silent senators are Republicans Cruz and David Vitter (La.) and Democrats Warren, Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), and Al Franken (Minn.).

Part of this strategy has to do with a new climate on the Hill. In the last decade the number of Hill reporters has only increased, fueled by the growing number of blogs and websites, even as many newspapers have shuttered or down-sized their Washington bureaus.