Today is February 5th
Documenting the Political Partying Circuit
From the early hours of the morning until late in the evening, politicians are partying. Sunlight's PARTY TIME can help you find out who is partying, where and when.

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special interests • POSTED - 01.18.11 BY Keenan Steiner

As House considers health care repeal, members schmooze with industry

Tomorrow, on the day the House votes to repeal the health care reform law, Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., has booked a fundraising lunch specifically catering to health care industry donors.

And as the Republican-led repeal effort unfolds tomorrow, there are nine other fundraisers planned for GOP members of the Energy and Commerce committee such as Guthrie on Wednesday and Thursday alone, giving ample opportunity for health care industry lobbyists and PAC managers to find face time with the crucial players in the health care debate.

The committee will be working on changes to the health care law this Congress, as an all-out repeal is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Other than these events, Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark., also on the committee, has planned a duck hunt fundraiser on Friday, with suggested PAC donations of $2,000 or $5,000, in his home state.

Throughout the week, at least 29 fundraisers have been planned for House Republicans and Democrats, according to Party Time’s database.

John Shimkus, R-Ill., one of the top-ranking members on the Energy and Commerce panel, has booked a lunch at Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar in downtown D.C. tomorrow, asking PACs for as much as $2,000 at the event.

On Thursday morning, just before the House is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m., both Guthrie and Shimkus have early breakfasts scheduled at the Capitol Hill Club. That morning, the House will be considering a resolution to instruct relevant committees to report bills to replace the 2010’s health care overhaul law.

Asked about the timing of the events, Shimkus spokesman Steve Tomaszewski said, “They were set before the schedule was changed.”

A vote on the repeal was originally planned for last week but was postponed by House leadership after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and 18 others in Tucson, Ariz.

Neither Shimkus nor Guthrie has confirmed that the events are indeed taking place.

Meanwhile, tomorrow morning, Ed Whitfield, R-Ky., another top-ranking Energy and Commerce member, will be holding court at the Capitol Hill Club, a few hours before Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., the panel’s vice chair of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, has planned a lunch there.

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, an advocate of health care repeal and the chair emeritus of the committee, is scheduled to be honored at a “Return to the ‘Hill’” dinner tomorrow night at Charlie Palmer Steakhouse.

Two other committee members — Tim Murphy, R-Pa. and Phil Gingrey, R-Ga., co-chairs of the GOP doctor’s caucus — have made Thursday at noon a convenient time for lobbyists and PAC managers by planning simultaneous fundraisers at the Capitol Hill Club. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Gingrey was one of the top recipients of health care professionals campaign contributions last election cycle; Murphy raked in more from the health industry than any other.

Other GOP House members with scheduled fundraisers Wednesday and Thursday include Reps. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., Thad McCotter, R-Mich., Devin Nunes, R-Calif., Jim Gerlach, R-Penn., Sam Graves, R-Mo. (with two events), and Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.

Chief Deputy Whip Peter Roskam, R-Ill., has also included a fundraiser in his schedule this week: a Thursday breakfast at the downtown lobbying firm BGR group.

On the Democrats’ side, Reps. Russ Carnahan, D-Mo., and Joe Baca, D-Calif., have scheduled shindigs. Of course, the usual disclaimer applies here: there are likely more events taking place as Party Time does not grab all of Washington’s fundraisers.

Correction: Originally, this post mistakenly stated that Rep. Russ Carnahan represents Kansas. As a reader pointed out, he represents Missouri.

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Partytime • POSTED - 01.05.10 BY Nancy Watzman

Pow(d)er Fundraising

The snow is flying out west, where several lawmakers plan this week to fundraise while skiing:

  • Rep. Ed Whitfield, Republican of Kentucky, will be welcoming donors to Vail on January 7-8; cost is $2,500 per PAC.
  • Also in Vail on January 8 will be Democrat Rep. Diana Degette, for her annual fundraising event there. (Here’s last year’s invite.) She’s asking $5,000 per PAC, $2,400 per individual donor.
  • In Park City, Utah this weekend is Republican Sen. Bob Bennett, who also hosts an annual ski fundraising event. He wants $5,000 for a “PAC sponsor,” $3,000 for a PAC, and $2,000 for an individual.
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Partytime • POSTED - 10.07.08 BY Nancy Watzman

Weekend at the races

If the economic news has you a bit leery about investing, here’s more of a sure thing: a planned weekend at the races for Rep. Ed Whitfield. Horses, that is, in Kentucky, Whitfield’s home state. The ask is $1,500 for an individual, $2,500 per PAC per couple, and $5,000 to be a host.

Betting on Whitfield, a Republican, gives you access to a lawmaker who has a seat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he is ranking member on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

Whitfield is not facing a particularly tough race, so he’s a pretty sure thing. He’s already raised $709,000, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, compared to his opponent, who has taken in about $8,000. His top contributing sector, by far, is the health care industry. Although he doesn’t need much cash he does figure out how to make good use of it. His expenditure records show that he spent more than $17,000 on hotels in Vail, Colorado last winter.

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PARTYFINDER™ Hints

Beneficiary: congressional candidate, lawmaker, or entity which collects funds raised at party

Host: person who is hosting party-often, but not always, a registered federal lobbyist

Venue Name: where the party is

Entertainment Type: type of gathering, such as "breakfast," "ski trip," "bowling"

Other Lawmakers Mentioned: lawmakers mentioned on invitation who are used as a draw for the event

Sunlight's Party Time is a project to track parties for members of Congress or congressional candidates that happen all year round in Washington, D.C. and beyond. (read more)

We also post information we receive about parties where members of Congress are expected to participate—such as convention or inaugural parties.

Since we don't hear about all the parties, you can also tell us if you know where the party is and we don't.