Watch our webinar on the Congressional Women’s Softball Game, featuring former players and 2024 game announcers, USCHS Trustee and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Congresswoman Cheri Bustos. This bi-partisan competition between Members of Congress and the Washington, D.C. press corps raises vital funds for young women battling breast cancer.

The inaugural game in 2009 was initiated by Congresswomen who invited female staff members from each party’s campaign headquarters to play. Since 2010, the game has pitted women Members of Congress against the press corps, creating a lasting rivalry. The game has raised over $3.7M for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC) and has become a Capitol Hill summer tradition. Together, we learned about the games’ history on Capitol Hill, the players who’ve taken part, and their experiences on the field.

Speakers

Former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) served nearly three decades representing South Florida in Congress. She was Chairwoman emeritus of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and led the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, focusing on democracy, combating extremism, and supporting free trade agreements.

Ros-Lehtinen also chaired several subcommittees, including those on the Middle East and Central Asia, International Operations and Human Rights, International Economic Policy and Trade, and Africa. Additionally, she served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

An advocate for education, Ros-Lehtinen holds an Ed.D. from the University of Miami and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Florida International University. She began her career as a certified teacher and later founded and served as the principal of a private bilingual elementary school. She currently serves on the USCHS Board of Trustees. 

Former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL) represented Illinois’ 17th Congressional District from 2013 to 2023. She held leadership roles as Co-Chair of the Steering and Policy Committee and the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Bustos served on the House Committee on Agriculture throughout her tenure, spent six years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and four years on the House Appropriations Committee, where she served on the Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Energy and Water; and Military Construction and Veterans Administration subcommittees.