Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – Members of Congress are not letting Wednesday’s tragic shooting at practice stop them from playing the The Congressional Baseball Game for Charity Thursday night at Nats Park.
“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. We believe the best way to honor them it to play the game as scheduled tomorrow night,” said a statement on the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity’s website Wednesday.
The game will raise more money for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, the Nationals Dream Foundation and the Washington Literacy Center. Following the shooting, which wounded two Capitol Police officers, officials decided donations should also go to the Fallen Officers Fund.
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA) said Democrats were practicing at their field when they heard that a man opened fire on the Republicans who were practicing.
“We’re not gonna let incidents like this change our way of life or our daily routines,” said Doyle (D-PA) at a press conference with Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) Wednesday.
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) who represents the Del Ray, Alexandria neighborhood where the shooting happened will be playing.
“This reminded everybody that we’re on the same team. We have different ways of governing and different philosophical ideas, but we all love our country. We all want good things to happen,” said Beyer.
House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise will not be attending the game after being shot in the hip yesterday. Wednesday House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said Scalise would probably be disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to play.
The Chief of the Capitol Police, the Nationals security team and Ryan’s office told Barton the game would be very secure.
First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.
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