WASHINGTON, D.C. — Politics will be on the back burner this afternoon as members of Congress take on President Barack Obama in basketball.

Or perhaps those politics will spill onto the back court.

Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) was slated to suit up and take part in a pick-up basketball session with the president Thursday, Oct. 8.

The game was scheduled for 2 p.m. PST at the White House.

Larsen said that he had been trying to schedule a basketball game since last May when Obama was campaigning.

“After he became president, in addition to working on the issues, he expressed a willingness to play some basketball,” Larsen said. “It’s been a while since we’ve all been very busy. But now we have a chance to have the president clear his head.”

Larsen, along with a number of U.S. representatives and presidential cabinet members, will be participating in the game.

Other players to suit up in the game are Reps. Mike Arcuri (D-N.Y.), John Boccieri (D-Ohio), Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Baron Hill (D-Ind.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), Frank Kratovil (D-Md.), Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), John Shimkus (R-Ill.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.).

Larsen said the games will be traditional pick up games.

“I told somebody earlier — if there’s somebody who’s really bad, I want to cover this person,” Larsen said. “I don’t want to be schooled by the president.