The Congressional Baseball Game, which Republican members and staffers were practicing for when a gunman wounded five Wednesday morning, will go on.
The Congressional Baseball Game, which Republican members and staffers were practicing for when a gunman wounded five Wednesday morning – including Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La. – will go on.
‘The Members of Congress, the staff and the volunteers who were out at practice this morning care deeply about the causes they play to benefit, ‘ organizers said in a statement. ‘We believe the best way to honor them [is] to play the game as scheduled tomorrow night.’
The two team captains, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas and Rep. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., also confirmed that the game would take place at the same time Thursday, during a joint press conference on Capitol Hill.
‘We are united, not as Republicans and Democrats, but as United States representatives, ‘ Barton told the swarm of reporters.
His Democratic counterpart, Doyle, chimed in saying, ‘Joe and I talked and we’ve decided that we’re not going to let incidents like this change our way of life or our daily routines.’
‘We’re going to go on and play the ball game, ‘ Doyle added.
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The Texas Republican also confirmed that Scalise would not be playing, as the congressman ‘was critically injured and remains in critical condition, ‘ according to a tweet from the hospital.
‘Congressman Scalise will not play tomorrow night since he was shot this morning, ‘ Barton said.
‘And I did tell Doyle that it would only be fair that the Louisiana Democrat shouldn’t also play, it happens to be their best pitcher, Cedric Richmond, ‘ the congressman continued, trying to get a laugh in during what’s been a raw day in Washington.
‘But Mike says [Richmond] loves this and he wants to show support, but that’s asking too much, ‘ Barton added.
Every year the game pits Republicans versus Democrats, with members often sporting the uniform of their home states’ teams, for a night of bipartisan fun that raises money for charity.
With two Capitol Police officers, Crystal Griner and David Bailey, taking bullets while defending members of Congress and their staff, Barton said organizers decided to add an additional charity to the list of those the game would benefit: The Fallen Officers Fund.
The benefit, which has taken place in Nationals Park since 2008, also raises money for a variety of D. C. charities.
It was established in 1909.
‘This is a game that has been played off and on for approximately 100 years, ‘ Barton said.
Presidents are a rare sight at the game and with the heightened security risk, President Trump likely won’t attend.
President Obama, however, showed up in 2015 – before an important trade vote – and brought two dozen beers, brewed at the White House, to gift to the winning team.
The Democrats won that year.
Obama memorably cheered as Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., struck out
It was Paul who shared some of the most harrowing details from the shooting Wednesday.
‘There was a rapid succession of shots, you know five or 10 shots, ‘ Paul said Wednesday morning on MSNBC. ‘In the field, I see Representative Scalise is shot by moving, and he’s trying to drag himself through the dirt and out into the outfield.’
Paul also told reporters that had it not been for Scalise’s security detail, he’s the No. 3 Republican in the House, they’d likely all be dead.
‘Had they not been there it would have been a massacre, because there’s no escaping a guy you know if he’s got several hundred bullets and we had no weapons and no place to hide, ‘ the Kentucky Republican said.
‘So if he would have advanced on the rest of us there would have been no chance, the only chance we had was that the shots were returned by the Capitol Hill police, ‘ Paul said.
Besides wounding Scalise and the two officers, an aide, Zachary Barth, and a lobbyist, Matt Mika, were also hurt by the gunman, who has since died.
