Word on the Hill: Pet Night

By Alex Gangitano

Posted October 4, 2017 at 5:00am

There’s an event devoted solely to celebrating the role of pets in our lives on Capitol Hill tonight.

Pet Night on Capitol Hill is when representatives from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute and the Pet Leadership Council teach members and staffers about the importance of pet ownership in America.

Don’t have a pet? You can learn about “the growing scientific evidence that pet ownership leads to improved well-being for both people and animals,” the invitation reads.

The annual Cutest Pet on Capitol Hill Contest, hosted by the Animal Health Institute, will also have Reps. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., and Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., announce the 2017 winners at the event. Meet some cute dogs in the House and Senate while you wait for the reveal.

It’s from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2043. RSVP is requested.

Heitkamp wins Mean Girls Day

Tuesday was Mean Girls Day, referring to the 2004 teen comedy, and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., took it as an opportunity to flaunt how nice her state is.

“There’s no denying the charm of what is known as ‘North Dakota nice,’” the senator wrote in a Medium post. “And we have that reputation for a reason. So in honor of Mean Girls Day, here are six times the situation would have been handled a little differently if North Shore High was in North Dakota.”

She used witty GIFs to explain how people in North Dakota would handle various scenarios, including talking about themselves and making new friends. It’s a must-read.

Happening today …

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, and there will be briefings every week for staffers on “Social Media Connections” hosted by the sergeant-at-arms. The first, “Introduction to Social Media Security Concerns,” is from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Capitol Visitor Center, Room SVC-209.

Plate of the Union, a campaign focused on federal food policy, is hosting a day on Capitol Hill with chefs and food advocates from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Happy Taco Day

Oct. 4 is National Taco Day in the U.S. Did you know that Americans ate more than 4.5 billion tacos this year? Taco Bell is giving out $5 taco gift boxes to celebrate the day, Fox News reported.