Members of Congress are used to taking questions.
But on Wednesday, media members will be queried right beside the elected officials.
Whether they have correct answers remains to be seen.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee returns to Washington D.C. this week with members of Congress competing against members of the news media as part of a fundraiser.
The “Politicians vs. Press” event will be at 7 p.m. EST Wednesday at the National Press Club.
“The Scripps National Spelling Bee is proud to be administering this competition for the National Press Club,” said Paige Kimble, executive director of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. “As the world’s leading authority on spelling bees, it is fitting for us to partner with an organization that respects and values its traditions as much as we do. We take our spelling seriously, but we also recognize this event as an opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause and a chance for two high-profile groups to show off their mastery of words under the pressures of onstage spelling.”
The politicians competing include Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Rep. Brad Ashford (D-Neb.), Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)., Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) and Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)
The journalists include Angela Greiling Keane of Bloomberg News, David Kerley of ABC News, Rebecca Sinderbrand of The Washington Post, Yochi Dreazen of Foreign Policy, Rod Kuckro of E&E News, Karoun Demirjian of the Washington Post, Ellyn Ferguson of CQ Roll Call, Nick Gass of Politico and Amy Ellis Nutt of The Washington Post.
The competition includes an individual winner and team winner. Each correctly spelled word earns a team point. Spellers are eliminated after a second misspelling. When there is one speller left, he or she must spell the word correctly in that round and then spell a second word correctly in the final one-word round to be declared champ.
Tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Tickets may be ordered here or purchase them with a credit card at the door until 7:30 p.m. the night of the event. The National Press Club is located at 529 14th St. NW, 13th floor, Washington, D.C. 20045.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the National Press Club’s Journalism Institute, which offers innovative, practical training to journalists and communications professionals working in a rapidly changing media environment.
The event includes a performance by comedian Tim Young and an after-party featuring cover band White Ford Bronco.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is administered on a not-for-profit basis by The E.W. Scripps Company.
