For many Americans, the annual Congressional Baseball Game is a treasured tradition. It’s a highly anticipated bipartisan event among members of the United States Congress, dating back to its inception in 1909. Democrats and Republicans square off on the diamond, allowing lawmakers to momentarily set aside political differences and come together in the spirit of America’s favorite pastime.
Beyond the game itself, the event holds significant charitable value. In 2016, it evolved into the Congressional Sports for Charity foundation, benefiting various organizations supporting vulnerable children and families in Washington, D.C., including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the Washington Literacy Center.
Additionally, the game serves as a platform to honor the bravery of the United States Capitol Police, with proceeds contributing to the Capitol Police Memorial Fund, established in recognition of the officers who responded heroically during the Republican practice shooting on June 14, 2017.
The upcoming 2024 game is slated for June 12th at Nationals Park, promising another exciting installment of this longstanding tradition – unless unhinged climate activists have their way.
Activist group Climate Defiance has issued a statement urging its members and supporters to participate in what they describe as a “historic blockade” of the Congressional Baseball Game. Climate Defiance founder Michael Greenberg explained, “So long as Congress torches our planet, we won’t give them a moment of rest. It is unconscionable that they play games while destroying our prospect for a decent future.”
In a mass email to supporters, protestors are instructed to “take the fight directly to the people in power” and “make their lives miserable.”
The group hopes its protest is more successful than their failed attempt two years prior. That protest fell flat when the Senate approved a climate spending package just before the game.
The upcoming protest will target members from both political parties, with Climate Defiance asserting that, much like the bipartisan nature of the Congressional Baseball Game, fossil fuel subsidies also receive support from both sides. According to Climate Defiance, even though President Biden’s 2023 budget plan suggested cutting tens of billions in tax breaks for fossil fuel companies, House Democrats opposed these cuts and advocated for maintaining the subsidies.
The Congressional Baseball Game has been targeted before. ShutDown DC is an activist group that sought to disrupt the game in 2022. ShutDown DC has been part of many plots against lawmakers, including the offer of a bounty for SCOTUS judges’ addresses after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The group offered $50 for any tips regarding addresses or sightings of the justice, upping the ante to $200 if the justice was still there thirty minutes after the tip.
The group famously targeted Justice Brett Kavanaugh while dining at Morton’s Steakhouse in downtown Washington. The group assembled outside the restaurant and contacted the manager, urging them to eject the justice. An unconcerned Kavanaugh completed his meal before leaving through the restaurant’s rear exit. Subsequently, the steakhouse released a statement condemning the activists’ actions, stating that Kavanaugh and other diners “were subjected to undue harassment by disruptive protestors” while dining.
The most well-known incident at the Congressional Baseball Game occurred in 2017, where a lone left-wing lunatic gunned down U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), shooting him in the hip and leaving him critically wounded. Scalise underwent surgery and fully recovered. Two other victims, U.S. Capitol Police officer Crystal Griner, Zack Barth, a congressional aide, and lobbyist Matt Mika, were also wounded.
A ten-minute shootout ensued between 66-year-old Hames Hodgkinson and officers from the Capitol and Alexandria Police. Eventually, officers shot Hodgkinson, who later died from his wounds at the George Washington University Hospital. The Virginia Attorney General concluded that Hodgkinson’s attack was “an act of terrorism” fueled by rage against Republican legislators.
Climate Defiance laments that Congress is playing baseball while “the planet is burning.” The group’s website demands a mass turnout to “stop business as usual” and “compel politicians to act.” In its email to supporters, the group urges protestors to take the fight “directly to the people in power” by disrupting the beloved baseball game. They claim that Congress could save millions of lives but refuse to do so, and they emphasize that they will do “whatever it takes” to force lawmakers to eliminate fossil fuels.
The group naturally claims the upcoming blockade of the Congressional Baseball game will be a “peaceful protest.” So far, there has been no mention of heightened security at the event despite the activists’ public announcement that they will shut it down.
However, the group seriously underestimates the commitment of baseball fans and may be facing more than they bargained for.
