Women of Congress take on the press in charity softball game

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Women politicians and members of the press went head to head Wednesday night to raise money against breast cancer. The Congressional Women’s Softball Game was back after being canceled last year due the coronavirus pandemic.

“The odds are not with us,” said Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) before the game. “You gotta realize that the women’s Washington press corp is about half our age.”

The group of congressional women put aside their partisan rivalry. In the end, it’s not the number of runs that matter. It’s the bigger picture, which is raising money and awareness about breast cancer and the importance of early screening, according to team Captain Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.).

“Working together, across the aisle on the same team -- that’s unusual here. And then, the good causes that it helps, I think just adds to it,” said Capito.

Her sentiments were echoed by game founder Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who played on behalf of a friend who was diagnosed with cancer in her 20s.

“When someone gets breast cancer, it feels like the end of their world and the end of their life. But what I’ve seen is that a lot of women have such resilience, such strength, such character,” said Gillibrand.

The tradition of playing this game started in 2009 after Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) announced her battle with breast cancer. Over the years, other survivors have participated too.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) made a return to the microphone offering some play by play. But this year, she had her own story to tell.

“I’m always talking about the survivors and honoring them. So it will be a big switch this year, as I am one of them too,” said Klobuchar, who diagnosed herself in February. She announced she’s cancer free last month.

The press beat the lawmakers 5-1. The money raised from the came goes to the Young Survival Coalition.

Multimedia journalists David Ade and Natalie Grim contributed to this report.

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