Paris Hilton, Michael Phelps and Randy Travis to meet with lawmakers — on 3 different causes
It's poised to be a starry time next week on Capitol Hill, as Paris Hilton, former Olympian Michael Phelps and country music star Randy Travis are all meeting with lawmakers within a few hours of each other.
Phelps is diving into the political waters on Tuesday, testifying before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee's evening hearing on addressing anti-doping measures ahead of the 2024 Olympics. Along with Phelps, fellow Olympic swimmer Allison Schmitt and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart are also scheduled to testify.
The next day, Hilton will be making a return trip to the halls of Congress as part of her work speaking out against institutional child abuse.
The "Paris in Love" reality TV star is expected to testify before the House Ways and Means Committee about the abuse of foster youth who have been placed in residential treatment facilities.
She'll also be meeting with members to discuss the bill she's championed in previous trips to the Capitol, the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act. The bipartisan legislation would create federal data collection and reporting standards for the “troubled teen” industry and provide states with best practices to prevent abuse.
Hilton won't be the only famous face on the Hill on Wednesday. "Forever and Ever, Amen" singer Travis and SoundExchange CEO Michael Huppe are slated to testify before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet at a hearing called "Radio, Music and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists."
Washington-based lobbying firm ACG Advocacy, which represents the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and Hilton, and counts SoundExchange among its clients, is behind the trio of celebrity visits to the Capitol,
Shawn Smeallie, ACG's founder, told ITK there's a value in bringing household names to Washington and having them connected to issues before Congress.
"It definitely amplifies your message and it garners a lot more interest from members and from the media," Smeallie said.
"It certainly helps open doors to members," he added of legislative efforts getting a star-studded boost, "to help get that message through."