Congressman says he's hosting a 15-minute Christmas party: 'It's real'

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images MP Tim Burchett

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holidays, some of us have only a few minutes to celebrate. That seems to be the case for U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, who this week sent out an invitation to a Christmas party that will last just 15 minutes.

On Tuesday, Politico reporter Olivia Beavers tweeted a photo of the Tennessee Republican's invitation to a Christmas party at his office that begins at noon and ends at 12:15 p.m.

“@RepTimBurchett is throwing a 15 minute Christmas party (I suspect that's one of his jokes…),” Beavers wrote on Twitter, attaching a photo of the invitation that says refreshments “may be provided.”

“No, it’s real,” Burchett replied on Twitter.

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According to the invitation, there may also be entertainment, courtesy of “Louie Gohmert & the Hal Rogers Singers,” although the document includes the caveat that MPs are merely “intended to attend.”

Burchett later joked that it was because of Gohmerts, a fellow Republican congressman.Contract” eight minutes of speaking and only seven minutes of singing.

As Burchett's chief of staff told PEOPLE, “the congressman's very real, 15-minute Christmas party is a first, but could well become an annual tradition.”

“Representative Louie Gohmert is scheduled to play his guitar,” they added. “Hal Rogers' singers are yet to be announced because, well, Congressman Burchett may have put that group together. Congressman Burchett often says, 'While I don't take myself too seriously, I take the job very seriously.'”

In a statement to PEOPLE, Burchett himself explained the party's entertainment choices.

“I originally wanted to invite Kanye, but the morals clause in our entertainment contract makes that impossible,” Burchett said in his statement. “Also, I don't associate with people who say nice things about Nazis. The soft tones of Louie Gohmert playing Christmas music are a much better option.”

His statement continued: “There is no guarantee that there will be refreshments, but if there are, they will be mediocre at best. It will be the Christmas party of the year in DC.”