Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Back in Session

It's back to work this week with Congress in session, and I'm finding out just how much work is done in the Capitol.


Last Friday I got trained to give tours of the Capitol and gave my first one yesterday. We walk through the Cannon House Office building, into the Capitol Visitors' Center to Emancipation Hall, past the plaster cast of the Statue of Freedom (its bronze cast sits atop the dome), up to the Crypt, to the Senate Vestibule and old Supreme Court chambers, into the Rotunda, the old Senate, National Statuary Hall (the old House), and to the House Gallery. I will post a virtual tour once I've taken pictures of the important sites. I'm not exactly an expert, but it's pretty amazing to walk beneath The Apotheosis of Washington nearly every day.


Yesterday I also attended my first Congressional summer intern lecture series event across the Capitol from Cannon in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Brian Deese from the National Economic Council, which advises the White House on economic issues, spoke to a packed room of eager interns. He was part of manufacturing the auto industry bailout and characterized the team that worked on that issue as being full of dedicated people humbly examining every possible outcome of their economic policy. Afterwards, he was asked questions by some of the interns, paraphrased below.

Q: Do you feel hampered by partisanship? Do you ever think you could get more done but your hands are tied?
        A: Mr. Deese told us that everything he proposes, regardless of the strength of the economic policy or how well it has been vetted/proven/argued for, must also pass a cross-examination through the lens of public opinion and what can realistically get done given the nature of the rest of the government. He expressed a sense of resignation about this aspect of his job, but seemed enthusiastic about the fact that he isn't just spitting out dense economic theory, but that his theory must also be actively applied to current policies.

Q: If you could take action to help the economy without being restrained by what would pass Congress or would be accepted by the public, what would it be?
        A: To this Mr. Deese hedged a bit. He said what America needs is really quite simple: private sector job growth and incentives to get Americans able to spend spending. Did he mention how exactly that might come about? (quantitative easing? simpler tax code?)  Not really.

Q: How much of what is happening in Europe really affecting our economy?
        A: A lot. As our largest trading partner and closest political ally, Europe unfortunately matters.

Q: What is it like to be in the White House?
        A: Mr. Deese said that President Obama doesn't mind having active debates play out in front of him, and welcomes hearing all sides of a proposal.  He also said the President says if a decision was easy it wouldn't be in front of him.

I started today with an awesome introduction to the ins and outs of Congress (everything you never learned in Social Studies). The Congressional Research Service puts on an awesome series of lectures on a range of topics, and today they presented about a dozen staffers and interns with information on everything from privileged business to the motion to recommit and all the documents, committees, and procedures in between.

The most fascinating part of the week, so far, was attending a full committee hearing on the Affordable Care Act's impact on job creators and the economy in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.  Each committee has a ratio of Democrats to Republicans that reflects the overall makeup of the House. During this hearing, in preparation for tomorrow's vote to repeal the ACA, included five witnesses, all business owners with varying perspectives on their responsibility to provide health insurance for employees and divergent opinions on the projected impact of the requirement to buy health insurance.  (Side note: Former presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich sits on the committee and offered a cogent argument in favor of healthcare for all.)  How exciting!

1 comment:

  1. Can you get the equivalent of Cliff Notes from Kucinich's argument? I want to understand more about the ACA (i.e. get the facts, not just the rhetoric)so I can dialogue about it. I believe it's a basic human right to have access to health care, and I want to know how the ACA achieves that.

    Giving tours of the Capitol already? They give that job to newbies?! You've always been a quick study and you're lovely to follow around so no wonder they gave you that job!

    Your first-hand accounts of the workings of Congress, to the extent you've seen, makes me feel a little more appreciative of public servants. I know in my office we all care very much about what we're doing for the public.

    It's a gift to have these kinds of summer experiences--they're life changing!

    Thanks for taking the time to share! Love, Mom

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