Members of Congress need a lot of money to get re-elected. That means lots of fundraisers at all times of day, even when other things, like congressional hearings, get in the way.
On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) is having a lunchtime fundraiser featuring food and drinks from his home state, according to an invitation obtained by the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation.
Coffman serves on two committees that both have hearings scheduled to start at 10 a.m.: an Armed Services Committee hearing on redeployment from Iraq, and a Natural Resources Committee hearing about a piece of legislature on Native American land rights.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is scheduled to attend Rep. Coffman's fundraiser as a "special guest," but to do so might mean missing part of a Financial Services Committee hearing on the accountability and transparency of financial rating agencies.
September saw a frenzied pace of fundraising as members tried to boost their quarterly totals ahead of the end-of-the-month filing deadline. The Huffington Post attempted to interview seven members of Congress at fundraisers during committee hearings over the course of the month.