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Congressional Baseball Game Still on Despite Shooting

Rep. Rodney Davis (R., Ill.) walks through the dugout during the Republicans' 8-7 victory in the 55th Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park, June 23, 2016 / AP
June 14, 2017

Lawmakers will still play in the annual Congressional Baseball Game scheduled for Thursday despite the attack Wednesday morning on the Republican team's practice, which injured five people including House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R., La.).

Rep. Martha McSally (R., Ariz.) announced that the game will not been cancelled or postponed, drawing a standing ovation from House members, Fox News reported.

"The Congressional Baseball Game is going on tomorrow night as it should," McSally told an all-member briefing. "We must continue to be accessible, or else, others win."

"Even though this was intended for evil, it can serve as a wake-up call for all of us," the Arizona Republican added, referring to Wednesday's shooting. "Think of how we are vilifying and engaging the people who disagree with us. We are American and we need to be united—the enemy is out there."

More than 50 members of Congress from both parties will participate in in the 57th  annual Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park on Thursday evening.

McSally also told reporters that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) received a standing ovation when he said the game is still on.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D., Calif.), who is on the Democratic team, tweeted that the game will still be played.

"We will play for charity, but also for the victims & the heroic officers who took down the shooter," Swalwell wrote on Twitter.

The game's official Twitter account confirmed just after 2:00 p.m. that the game will not be canceled, the Hill noted.

President Donald Trump will not attend the game, according to the Washington Examiner.

"There was never a plan to attend," a White House official told the Examiner. "[F]or security reasons it wouldn't be possible to attend at this point."

The Congressional Baseball Game is a tradition that dates back to 1909, with its current iteration running continuously since 1958. In recent years, it has raised $600,000 for charity.