Word on the Hill: From Little League World Series to Congress

By Alex Gangitano

Posted August 2, 2017 at 5:00am

Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., passed along some veteran advice for a Florida Little League baseball team, which is competing for a regional title this weekend and a chance to play in the Little League World Series.

The Palm Beach Post asked DeSantis, who played in the Little League World Series in 1991, for his thoughts.

“I would just say you’re having the time of your life, enjoy it. Those are friends that you’re going to have forever. Play hard, work hard… just feel lucky that you’re doing it. And thank your parents,” the congressman said in a message for the West Boynton Little League.

In 1991, a team from Dunedin, Florida, which included DeSantis, reached the quarterfinals of the Little League World Series before losing to a California team. DeSantis is now a regular in the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

Learn about job creation in solar

The Citizens For Responsible Energy Solutions Forum is hosting a Capitol Hill discussion today on the future of job growth in the solar industry and free trade from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room G-11. RSVP here.

Call Congress and maybe see Stevie Wonder

If you call Congress to lobby against cuts to foreign aid, you could win tickets to the upcoming Global Citizen Festival.

The annual free event in New York’s Central Park, organized by international advocacy group Global Citizen, is on Sept. 23. Headliners include Stevie Wonder, Green Day, The Killers, The Lumineers, and The Chainsmokers. Global Citizen is calling on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., and Senate Appropriations Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., to ensure that the international affairs budget is fully funded in 2018.

For a chance to win free concert tickets, participants can download the Global Citizen app and perform a series of advocacy actions to win entry into a lottery. Learn more on the Global Citizen website.

Library of Congress is for everyone

On Tuesday, the Library of Congress launched the “Touch History” tour, a new way for visitors with visual impairments to experience the Thomas Jefferson Building. The tour is based around visitors’ sense of touch and runs the first and third Tuesday of each month (except in September) at 8:45 a.m.