Biden Hosts Annual Congressional Picnic
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden hosted the annual Congressional Picnic Wednesday evening in an effort to bridge the often contentious divide between Capitol Hill and the White House.
Biden, with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris standing beside him, addressed the crowd, with bipartisanship as a central talking point.
“You know, for all the disagreements we have, you’ve got to remember at the end of the day we’re friends,” Biden said. “That’s how it’s always been. You’ve got to be friends with each other.
“I mean, I think we’re getting there,” he added.
Several hundred people attended the picnic, including representatives and their respective families, sporting looks from casual to Congress-business attire.
“Jill and I want to thank you and all the families for coming,” Biden said. “There’s nothing formal about this. This is your house. This is the people’s house.”
Biden emphasized the vital support families give to the members, sharing a nostalgic story of when his two sons accompanied him, years ago, to the picnic.
Harris briefly addressed the crowd, saying, “Your role of leadership and sacrifice … really does make a difference in terms of the good work that we do together for the sake of our country, so I thank you all for what you do every day.”
All three dispersed to shake hands as members and their families mingled among the respective blue-and-white and red-and-white checkered tables.
The picnic was revived last year after COVID-19 halted the celebration in 2020 and 2021. The picnic was also canceled in 2018 when former President Donald Trump called it off amid controversy over an immigration policy that separated children and parents at the southern border.
Many members of Congress were in attendance, including Reps. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
While the event was centered around a bipartisan spirit, there was underlying tension regarding recent political events.
When asked about the ongoing probe into Hunter Biden’s alleged misconduct and the recent House Oversight Committee hearing, Raskin stated, “If Donald Trump were president [and his son was prosecuted], he would be screaming from the rooftops ‘witch hunt’ and … ‘scapegoating Donald Trump.‘
“Joe Biden’s made no effort to interfere in this case, and it strikes me as a fair and reasonable conclusion to a fair and reasonable process,” Raskin concluded.
On June 20, Hunter Biden pled guilty to two counts of misdemeanor tax crimes and accepted a plea deal regarding an illegal firearm possession charge.
The probe continued Wednesday with the first session of the hearing involving two IRS agents providing testimony concerning Hunter Biden’s alleged misconduct.
Raskin came to Hunter Biden’s defense, saying the hearing has turned the committee into a “theater of the absurd and an exercise in futility and embarrassment.”
Despite partisan undertones, the picnic remained a friendly event for the members and their families.
Schumer strolled the lawn with his young grandson, who paused to interact with the press corps, and Gaetz and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., were spotted in a friendly discussion with their colleagues and families.
While Biden did not directly comment on his looming presidential campaign, he reminded the crowd of their mission as legislators.
“It reminds me of the work we have to do,” Biden said.
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