One day after a gunman opened fire on a group of GOP lawmakers at an early morning baseball practice, many of those same lawmakers took to the field at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. on Thursday to face off against their Democratic colleagues in the 56th annual congressional game.
Five people, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), were wounded in the shooting. Scalise is still in critical condition.
The annual game, which raises money for multiple charities including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, is one of Capitol Hill’s last remaining bipartisan traditions. Ticket sales for the game surged after Wednesday’s shooting, putting the event on track to raise upwards of $1 million.
In the wake of the shooting, organizers decided the game must go on, and added the Capitol Police Memorial Fund to the game’s beneficiaries.
“We’re not going to let incidents like this change our way of life or our daily routine. We’re going to go ahead and play the ballgame,” Rep. Michael Doyle (D-Pa.), who manages the Democratic team, said Wednesday.
Attendees showed support for Scalise and advocated for bipartisan unity in the wake of the shooting.
President Donald Trump did not plan to attend the game, but recorded a video message to air during the event.
Read more on Wednesday’s shooting here.
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