Word on the Hill: Pence Here
Trump's D.C. hotel open for business
Donald Trump has officially made his lasting mark on Washington: His hotel is open.
Located on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Trump International Hotel opened to the public Monday amid protests from the ANSWER Coalition. Their signs read, “Lawmakers, do not use my taxpayer money for hate, Speak up, act now,” “Stand Up to Racism,” and “Stand against anti-Muslim bigotry.”
The grand opening will take place in October but the hotel has already begun serving guests. The Republican presidential nominee bought the building — the Old Post Office Pavilion — from the federal government and started renovations before he launched his campaign.
Pence to Capitol Hill
Look for GOP vice presidential candidate Mike Pence in the Capitol. The Senate Republican caucus will have lunch with the Indiana governor at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. House GOP leadership is holding a joint press conference with him at 10 a.m. in the Republican National Committee’s front lobby.
Virtual jail
Members of Congress are putting on headsets to see what jail is like. The criminal justice initiative #cut50 is hosting a private virtual reality experience to highlight its efforts to reduce America’s incarcerated population by 50 percent over the next 10 years. Individual screenings for members kick off with Democratic Reps. Cedric L. Richmond and Hakeem Jeffries at 10 a.m. and 10:20 a.m., respectively.
Book award?
Rep. John Lewis and co-authors Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell are up for a National Book Award. The trio’s third installment of the graphic novel series “March” was nominated in the young people’s literature category.
Staffer shuffle
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner’s new chief of staff is Mike Harney, who was previously chief of staff for former North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan. Harney was most recently the assistant U.S. trade representative for congressional affairs.
Happy Birthday to …
Rep. Cedric L. Richmond, D-La., 43.
Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill, 55.
Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo, 54.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, 67.
What’s going on?
Have any tips, announcements or Hill happenings? Send them to AlexGangitano@cqrollcall.com.
Bridget Bowman contributed to this report.
