Senators Holding Holiday-Weekend Fundraising Trips Amid Shutdown

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is among the senators from both parties who have weekend fundraising getaways planned as the government shutdown heads toward its second week.

Thune and other GOP senators have planned a fundraising trip this weekend to Kiawah Island, S.C., while their Democratic counterparts have scheduled one with donors in California wine country, according to fundraising appeals sent to donors and sources familiar with the events.

As the shutdown drags into its second week, the lapse in government funding and furloughed federal workers keeps jolting the political fundraising scene with lawmakers wary of hobnobbing in resorts. Some lawmakers are sticking with their money-raising plans despite the optics of holding such events, while others said they won’t show up if the shutdown persists.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee planned to kick off a fundraising fete Monday, a federal holiday, at the Hotel Yountville, which features a “Tuscan-European vibe” at its luxury resort and spa, according to the hotel’s website.

The DSCC did not respond to requests about whether the event was a go.

Thune and a contingent of fellow Senate Republicans, including John Boozman (Ark.) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska), planned to raise money this weekend for their political coffers in Kiawah Island, a barrier island known for its beaches, golf, and resort accommodations.

Boozman does not plan to attend, if the government is still in a shutdown, said his communications director Matt Wester.

Spokespeople for Thune, Sullivan, and other senators did not respond to requests for comment about their plans, which also hinge on the Senate’s schedule.

The fundraiser has been long on the books, according to invitations from earlier this year to donors.

Senate Republicans’ campaign arm went ahead with a fundraising retreat last weekend in Sea Island, Ga., after rooms had been paid for and the retreat booked well in advance.

Lobbyists across the political spectrum said the logistics of canceling a large, long-planned trip would prove difficult and costly. Even when lawmakers don’t attend fundraising events, donors still would get face time with senior aides and political advisers, they said.

The demand to supply campaigns with cash doesn’t slow because of a shutdown, campaign finance advisers said.

“Lawmakers are being cautious as to what events they attend, but they still have to make their campaign budget,” said Eric Lundberg, a senior adviser at Democracy Engine, an online fundraising platform. “The cost of campaigns is not getting any cheaper.”

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) was slated to attend the DSCC Napa retreat. Her office did not respond to requests for comment.

House members, too, have scrambled their fundraising plans in some cases, in part because House Republicans are largely staying in their districts.

The National Republican Congressional Committee canceled a fundraising event in Dallas this week. Speaker Mike Johnson (R) canceled a fundraising dinner planned for this week, too, and Greg Steele, a spokesman for the Louisiana Republican, said the speaker “will not be holding fundraising events during a shutdown.”