Why Your Member of Congress Is at a Taylor Swift Show

At least 26 fundraisers are planned for Taylor Swift's July concerts in DC.

ByABC News
July 13, 2015, 6:35 PM

— -- Congress is ready for Taylor Swift.

Members and their political action committees are holding at least 26 fundraisers around the pop star's two Washington, D.C., concerts today and Tuesday, according to the Sunlight Foundation, which tracks political fundraising.

More than two-dozen members and hosting groups are asking supporters for as much as $5,000 in political contributions in exchange for concert seats at Nationals Park on July 13 and 14.

"With so much competition for time and money, politicians are always looking for new and creative ways to fund-raise," said Jenn Topper, a spokesperson for the Sunlight Foundation.

Swift has been a major draw for politicians since 2010, Topper said, citing the nonprofit's data. But members traditionally take advantage of any well-known musician in town -- from Bruce Springsteen, to the Jonas Brothers.

But money isn't the only thing members are asking for. Many took to Twitter to convince Swift to visit the U.S. Capitol.

While both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have plans for Swift's shows, the 25-year-old singer has kept her own political affiliation ambiguous.

"I know who I'm going to vote for, but I don't think that it's important for me to say it," she told NPR in 2012. "I just want to make sure that every public decision I make is an educated one."

Swift voted for the first time in 2008, and told People Magazine she said she "went with her gut instinct" in the voting booth.