Tennessee Republican’s 16-minute holiday party draws bipartisan crowd: ‘Christmas brings everyone together!’

Rep. Tim Burchett’s 16-minute Christmas party appeared to be a packed — and punctual — success, as a bipartisan crowd of holiday revelers joined the Tennessee Republican in some fast-paced festivities.

Burchett had detailed plans for Tuesday’s roughly quarter-of-an-hour affair, which was increased by one minute from last year’s bash, in an interview with The Hill ahead of the shindig.

Sixteen minutes, Burchett had said, is “all you really need.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) made an appearance as Santa Claus at the Longworth House Office Building holiday extravaganza. The two congressmen have worked closely together on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, probing issues related to unidentified flying objects and unidentified aerial phenomena (UFOs and UAPs.)

“Somebody said, ‘You know he’s Jewish, don’tcha?’ And I said, ‘Dagnabbit, my savior’s Jewish. My Santa Claus can be Jewish, too,’” Burchett had told The Hill of Moskowitz’s planned red suit-clad cameo. A menorah was on display behind Moskowitz.

Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) — with a tip jar beside them — played guitars and sang Christmas carols. House Chaplain Margaret G. Kibben later joined in on the vocal performance.

Burchett greeted attendees at the door with his version of “charcuterie,” also known as “Easy Cheese” from a can.

It was a packed house with members, staffers, and other guests. 

Attendees included: Reps. Mary Miller (R-Ill.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) and Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), who was at the party with her husband and baby whom she gave birth to in August, said her son got his first snapshot with Santa at Burchett’s event.

Moskowitz — who might be at the equivalent of the North and South Poles politically with Greene — exclaimed after posing for a photo with her, “Christmas brings everyone together!”

At 12:16 p.m., Burchett flickered the lights, prompting his guests to hightail it out of the holiday gathering — although he had allowed some of the crowd to enter early.