WASHINGTON — The annual Congressional Softball Game is shaping up to be a fierce contest.
Female lawmakers are promising to take on the women of Washington’s press corps this week in the yearly matchup between Congress and the media.
“The press will probably report it as ‘mostly peaceful,’ but make no mistake … it’s going to be an ass-whooping. For charity, of course,” Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) told The Post ahead of Wednesday’s game.
“Very bipartisan of us,” Cammack added with a quip.
Team Congress enters the game with momentum after defeating the media’s “Bad News Babes” 5-3 last year in a contest that was ultimately shortened by thunderstorms.
The annual showdown, which began in 2009, has raised approximately $5 million for the Young Survival Coalition, an organization supporting breast-cancer survivors.
The event follows the model of the famed Congressional Baseball Game, in which bipartisan Republican and Democratic teams compete annually to raise money for charity.
“The softball game is one of the few bipartisan activities left in Washington,” said The Post’s White House correspondent Emily Goodin, the star slugger and captain of the “Bad News Babes.”
“Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle team up to take on the press. And we all join in on the common cause of beating breast cancer,” Goodin said.
Since the Congressional Softball Game began, the “Bad News Babes” have won 10 times, while Team Congress has recorded five victories.
Goodin regards last year’s loss as an anomaly rather than a sign that the media’s dominance is fading.
“The press is looking forward to reclaiming its victory crown from the lawmakers after a sudden thunderstorm handed them an unexpected victory last year,” she said. “Beat cancer, beat Congress!”
Wednesday’s forecast calls for some early-morning rain, followed by clear conditions for the remainder of the day.
That means Team Congress may not be able to count on another thunderstorm to protect its lead.
Attendance could still pose a challenge for the congressional squad. House leaders scrapped the previously scheduled session this week, leaving many representatives back in their districts campaigning for the midterms.
The Senate, however, remains in session, keeping senators in Washington. Many House members on Team Congress also plan to return to defend their title.
“The Congressional Softball Game is an event I look forward to every year,” Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) told The Post. “As a team captain, it’s always a lot of fun to lead my team in some friendly competition with members of the press.”
“More importantly, this event gives us an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and breast cancer prevention,” she said. “I’m looking forward to tomorrow night’s game and am confident my colleagues from the Hill will be ready to bring home a win.”
