High-dollar dinners, oceanside retreats, and a birthday party for a lawmaker’s dog may fool the common observer into thinking the federal government is not in its third week of a shutdown.
Little has changed for members of Congress since the entire government’s funding lapsed on Oct. 1, forcing some 2 million federal employees to be furloughed or work without pay.
The inconvenience, or in some cases hardship, of a shutdown has become wrapped up in the blame each side is assigning to the other, with neither party willing to budge over Democratic demands on healthcare.
Still, Republicans and Democrats are not letting the optics of fundraising or networking during a shutdown stop them from carrying on like usual.
“I don’t sense a great deal of urgency anywhere in this building,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) told the Washington Examiner. “People here don’t seem to be very affected by it. I think that’s part of the issue. So, they go on like it’s business as normal, but it’s not business as normal for folks who can’t get access to services they paid for.”
In an effort to offer some comedic relief, Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV) hosted a birthday party on Wednesday to celebrate Babydog, his politically famous four-legged sidekick, turning six. Hundreds of congressional staffers lined up on what was the 15th day of the shutdown for a chance to snap a picture with the senator and his 60-pound bulldog, whose face donned custom cakes and cake pops.
“I love her to death, and that’s the end of it with me,” Justice said. “Things are tough enough right now. We needed something to kind of smile a little bit about.”
While some individual lawmakers have canceled or refrained from attending fundraisers, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) made a plea for his members not to hold political events, the campaign arms of both parties have forged ahead during the shutdown. In recent weeks, both the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have schmoozed with donors at luxurious retreats, even as they attracted negative headlines for doing so.
Democrats’ latest fundraising retreat this week in Napa Valley, California, included a wine tour and dinner at the 5-star Hotel Yountville. DSCC Chairwoman Kirstin Gillibrand (D-NY) declined to answer questions from the Washington Examiner on Thursday.
“I don’t talk about fundraising in the building. I have an opinion,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), who’s set to become the second-ranked Democrat in the next Congress. “I think we should be in session, day and night, until we get out of this situation.”
In response to a request seeking information about what appeared to be an event held Wednesday on the rooftop of the Democratic National Committee headquarters near Capitol Hill, a spokesperson responded with a copy of a White House invitation to a “Legacy Dinner” from the same evening to celebrate the construction of President Donald Trump’s new ballroom.
Senate Republicans held a fundraising retreat over the weekend in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and another this month at the oceanside Sea Island Resort in Georgia.
“A lot of people are in midterm elections and so on like that. They’re kind of forced to have to raise money and do all that they can possibly do,” Justice said. “There’s all kinds of circumstances that would lead one to make one decision or the other. But I surely understand optics, and you got people out there that are hurting.”
Compounding matters, lawmakers are constitutionally required to be paid during the shutdown, while their staffers and federal workers are not. Some have moved to donate their salaries, but the idea of troops or Capitol Police officers going without pay has become a flashpoint.
So far, the White House has diverted money to cut checks for the military, while the administration also said it would use tariff revenue for a lapsing program for low-income mothers with young children.
The lack of concern over optics is rooted in the political reality that both sides think their position will ultimately prevail in the court of public opinion.
“Both sides think they’re winning,” said Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who is among the trio of Democratic caucus members to vote for a “clean,” GOP-backed funding bill that has failed repeatedly in the Senate. “People do what they think is appropriate. That’s up to them.”
The Senate departed for the weekend on Thursday following a 10th failed vote on the clean GOP measure, and the House has been on recess for the past four weeks in a bid to pressure Democrats to accept that bill.
In the face of the impasse, lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have attempted to get creative with their shutdown posturing on social media.
SENATE HEADS HOME AFTER DEMOCRATS DASH THUNE’S LATEST SHUTDOWN STRATEGY
A tongue-in-cheek video from Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE) features her searching the Capitol for House Republicans. A profanity-laced video from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) explains why the party has dug in on scoring healthcare concessions that Republicans say they’ll oppose until Democrats help reopen the government. Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) used the roof of what appeared to be one of the House office buildings to ding “Schumer’s Shenanigans.”
Lauren Green and Rachel Schilke contributed to this report.
