Word on the Hill: Kaine and Alexander’s Bipartisan Jam

By Alex Gangitano

Posted September 13, 2017 at 5:00am

Music lovers can catch Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., on the harmonica and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., on the piano this Friday night.

Their band The Amateurs are performing at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, a music festival this weekend in Bristol, a community that straddles the Virginia-Tennessee state line. The dynamic duo goes on stage at 5 p.m.

Rep. Phil Roe’s, R-Tenn., band, The Pony Express, was originally going to play as well but it had some scheduling conflicts. The congressman still plans on attending the event.

On Monday night, Kaine promoted the concert on his Facebook page with a video of the two senators “practicing a few tunes.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda honored

Tony and Pulitzer winner Lin-Manuel Miranda accepted the 2017 Freedom Award from the United States Capitol Historical Society on Tuesday evening for “Hamilton the Musical” and the Hamilton Education Program. He appeared at a reception before the main event in the Capitol and, when asked to make a speech, said, “The night is late and you all have laws to a pass.”

At the reception, the National Endowment for the Humanities brought in a handful of their grant recipients to the auditorium in the Capitol Visitor Center to showcase the diversity of their grant making at the pinnacle of appropriations season. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, Jeff Fortenberry, R-Neb., and Barbara Comstock, R-Va., introduced grantees from their states.

.@Lin_Manuel takes a selfie with @SenatorLeahy and @lisamurkowski pic.twitter.com/XBjY80F96l
— Jennifer Shutt (@JenniferShutt) September 12, 2017

Free fries

Congressional staffers can get some free fries today. The National Biodiesel Board is hosting its second annual BioFry outside Talay Thai near the Capitol South Metro station.

There will be D.C. food trucks from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. serving french fries and handing out information on how the oil used to cook them can be recycled to make clean-burning biodiesel. The three types of fries you can get are Old Bay, Parmesan garlic, and sea salt.

Sign up for Hill 2 Houston kickball tournament

hill2houston Hill 2 Houston Kickin’ It for a Cause Charity Kickball Tournament is Thursday. Registration is $20 and players will be assigned to co-ed teams. Games are five innings long or last a maximum of 30 minutes. The Congressional Black Associates teamed up with ProjectBlackFlag Social Sports and The Kickball Conglomerate to raise money for the Greater Houston Community Foundation to help with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts. It’s from 6 to 9 p.m. at Tyler Elementary School (1001 G St. SE). Sign up here.

Happening today: Movie screening

Nike, National Geographic and 21st Century Fox are hosting a sneak preview today of the new documentary Breaking2. It takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Nike Field House (507 Second St. NE). Invite-only. The movie premieres on the National Geographic Channel on Sept. 20 at 8 p.m.

Catching up: Obama White House

Former first lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, Tina Tchen, will lead the Buckley Sandler law firm’s Chicago office. Tchen was also an assistant to former President Barack Obama, and executive director of the White House Council on Women and Girls.