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Obama, Hollywood Elite Raise $1 Million for House Democrats

Updated: 11:53 a.m.

President Barack Obama raised $1 million for House Democrats at a Monday night fundraiser backed by the Hollywood elite.

The cost to attend the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event, hosted at the Los Angeles home of “West Wing” and “ER” producer John Wells, was $2,500 per person. But co-hosts including J.J. Abrams, Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Barbra Streisand paid $30,400 per couple.

According to pool reports, Obama spoke to the crowd for about half an hour. He said that keeping Congress in Democratic hands will be “my focus over the next several months” and hailed Democratic lawmakers for helping to “deliver the most progressive legislative agenda not just in one generation, maybe two, maybe three.”

“I hope you understand why we’re here tonight. It’s not to take a picture with the president,” he said. “We’re here to make sure those who took the tough votes are rewarded.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) were among the lawmakers at the event. Others included California Reps. Howard Berman, Brad Sherman, Barbara Lee, Joe Baca, Laura Richardson, Judy Chu and John Garamendi.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, a former California Congresswoman, also attended.

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