Word on the Hill: Party Time
Burgers in Cannon today
The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is a day away. But Friday is a big night for parties to start the weekend off.
RealClearPolitics, the Distilled Spirits Council, the National Restaurant Association and the Beer Institute are joining for the first annual Toast to the First Amendment. It is from 7 to 10 p.m. at the National Restaurant Association, 2055 L St. NW.
The Creative Coalition’s Right to Bear Arts Gala is at 8 p.m. at Flavio Restaurant & Bar, 1073 31st St. NW. A lot of celebrities are expected, including Tim Daly (“Madam Secretary”), Justin Bartha (“The Good Fight”), Sarah Wayne Callies (“Prison Break”), Wendi McLendon-Covey (“The Goldbergs”), Chad Lowe (“Pretty Little Liars”), Alyssa Milano (“Charmed”), Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”), Nick Sandow (“Orange Is the New Black”), Aaron Staton (“Mad Men”), and Matt Walsh (“Veep”).
The White House Correspondents’ Jam III is from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Hamilton Live, 600 14th St. NW. Some celebrities and journalists will perform together, including Billy Bob Thornton and longtime Rolling Stones keyboard collaborator Chuck Leavell.
Also, Capitol File Magazine and the British ambassador are hosting a party from 6 to 9 p.m. at the ambassador’s residence, 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
[Check out what is going on the rest of the weekend]
Follow along with @alexgangitano on Twitter and rollcalldc on Instagram to see some of the events and tweet at us with your photographs and VIP spottings.
No invite for Murphy to Booker’s birthday
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., turned 48 on Thursday and some senators surprised him with a party.
Thx staff & @SenGillibrand @SenFranken @SenBrianSchatz @SenBobCasey @SenatorMenendez @maziehirono @amyklobuchar @MartinHeinrich 4 surprise! pic.twitter.com/qmtjUW1JzJ
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 27, 2017
Sen. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., tweeted that he wasn’t invited to the party but he chose to be “the bigger person” and joked that Booker turned 55.
I am silently fuming bc I wasn’t invited to this, but I choose to be the bigger person and still wish @CoryBooker a happy 55th birthday. https://t.co/dyN6ZunsWG
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 27, 2017
But Booker was having none of it.
Lol, listen old man: 1. You WERE invited and 2. I thought you only threw shade to mean Republicans #IWasWrong #StillInMy40s https://t.co/lqgcVBsLVW
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) April 27, 2017
Try healthy foods
There’s a tasting today of the food from Beyond Burger, hosted by the Congressional Vegetarian Staff Association, The Good Food Institute and Beyond Meat. Try the food from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Cannon House Office Building, Room 121. No RSVP is required and all staffers are welcome.
Upton gets his portrait
Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., the former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, had his official portrait unveiling ceremony on Thursday. Upton led the panel for six years, beginning in 2011. He stepped down this year due to House GOP term limits.
An incredible honor to have my portrait hang alongside other @HouseCommerce greats. pic.twitter.com/84aGnsl3TG
— Fred Upton (@RepFredUpton) April 27, 2017
Professor Paul
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will teach at George Washington University’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences next fall, the GW Hatchet reported. The course will be on “dystopian visions” and will focus on how dystopian attitudes relate to the current state of politics.
Overhead on the Hill
“I’m going to use them when I go home this weekend — without attribution.”
— Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., saying he’s going to borrow swamp-related metaphors from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Rep. Linda T. Sánchez, D-Calif., when he goes to events in Connecticut this weekend.
“This morning, he had three tweets. I was thinking he was more of a creature that stalked the night.”
— House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on President Donald Trump.
“The minute they cast that vote, they put doo-doo on their shoe, a tattoo on their forehead.”
— Pelosi on the Republicans’ health care bill.
Happy birthday to …
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., 68.
Saturday
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., 67.
Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., 63.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., 71.
Sunday
Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., 61.
Rep. Robert C. Scott, D-Va., 70.
What’s going on?
Have any tips, announcements or Hill happenings? Send them to AlexGangitano@cqrollcall.com.
