NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will make the rounds with House GOP

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is holding several large-scale private meetings with House Republicans next week, including sessions with top GOP leaders.

On Monday, Rep. Steve Scalise is hosting Goodell at a closed meeting of his whip team, according to an invitation sent to lawmakers this week.


House Republican Conference Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington State is holding what she calls a “Power House Lunch” with more than 40 lawmakers Tuesday, so they can hear leadership lessons from Goodell. Goodell will also meet with a group of GOP chiefs of staff.

Scalise, the Louisiana Republican who serves as House majority whip, begins each legislative week with a meeting of his vote-counting team, chiefly to review the agenda and discuss corralling votes. The whip often hosts guests to talk about their experiences in business or government.

Scalise has a close connection to the NFL. Nicole Gustafson, his former conservative coalition director, is one of the NFL’s top D.C. lobbyists.

Goodell has been in the spotlight over the past year. He has been criticized on issues ranging from how he handled Tom Brady’s suspension, to how he deals with domestic violence in the NFL. Of course, the name of Washington’s NFL team, the Redskins, has been a political football over the last several years as well. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has endlessly criticized the name as being offensive to Native Americans, and did so again on Thursday morning.

Goodell’s father, Charles Goodell of New York, was a member of the House between 1963 and 1968, and a member of the Senate between 1968 and 1971.

Each member of the whip team is allowed to bring one aide to the Goodell session, which will be at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Capitol.

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