Welcome to Washington

Transcription

1 Welcome to Washington A collection of presentations to help you navigate the Hill like an insider January 2017 Producer: Presentation Center team Director: Alistair Taylor

2 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 2

3 Welcome to Washington Legislative processes primers Page 4 Legislative process primer: Slide illustrating the "regular order" of lawmaking; a helpful background slide for those unfamiliar with the legislative process Page 5 Filibuster primer: Charts showing spikes in motions for cloture, small-state biases in the Senate, and longest speaking filibusters in history Page 9 Caucus primer: Use this presentation to understand what a congressional caucus does and see details on some of the major congressional caucuses Page 16 Federal budget process 101: Graphs, charts, and analysis explaining how the federal budget process works, in theory and in recent practice Page 22 Federal rulemaking process 101: Graphics and charts illustrating the federal rulemaking process Page legislative and regulatory calendar: Important legislative, regulatory and other dates in 2017P January 2017 Presentation Center 3

4 LEGISLATIVE PROCESS PRIMER How a bill becomes a law Representative Introduces bill in the House Senator Introduces bill in the Senate House committee/subcommittee Bill is debated and amended Simple majority needed to proceed House floor Bill is debated and amended Speaker must allow a floor vote Senate committee/subcommittee Bill is debated and amended Simple majority needed to proceed Senate floor Bill is debated and amended 3/5 majority needed to end debate Simple majority needed to pass Simple majority needed to pass Final votes/conference committee If both chambers pass an identical bill, the bill is sent directly to the president If each chamber passes a similar bill with some differences, a conference committee is formed to reach compromise and combine the bills President The president can sign bills that have been passed by both chambers into law The president can reject a bill with a veto; Congress can override a veto by passing the bill in each chamber with a 2/3 majority Source: National Journal Research, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 4

5 FILIBUSTER PRIMER Filibusters block Senate action with lengthy debate Longest U.S. Congressional filibusters in history By hour Sen. Murphy filibustered for almost 15 hours to draw attention to Senate Democrats desire for action on gun safety Sources: Cassandra Vinograd, The Longest Filibusters: Where Does Chris Murphy Stack Up?, NBC News, June 16, 2016; Phil Helsel and Richie Duchon, Filibuster Ends After GOP Agrees to Allow Gun Control Votes: Senator, NBC News, June 16, 2016; National Journal Almanac, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 5

6 FILIBUSTER PRIMER Senate invokes cloture to halt filibusters Steps to invoke cloture No: Cloture fails Senator files a motion for cloture Piece of legislation Or U.S. Supreme Court Nominee? Voted for by at least 60 Senators? Signed by 16 Senators? Yes: Motion for Cloture is taken to vote Yes: Cloture invoked and filibuster Is blocked No: Motion for cloture Fails and is not taken to vote Judicial or Executive Branch Nominee? Voted for by at least 51 Senators? No: Cloture fails Source: U.S. Senate Reference, 2013; Richard S. Beth and Valerie Heitshusen, Filibusters and Cloture in the Senate, Congressional Research Service, November 29, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 6

7 FILIBUSTER PRIMER Filibusters criticized for exploiting Senate s small-state bias Citizen Voting-Age Population, by State in 2016 California Texas Florida New York Pennsylvania Illinois Ohio Michigan North Carolina Georgia New Jersey Virginia Washington Massachusetts Tennessee Indiana Arizona Missouri Wisconsin Maryland Minnesota Colorado South Carolina Alabama Louisiana Kentucky Oregon Oklahoma Connecticut Iowa Mississippi Arkansas Kansas Utah Nevada New Mexico West Virginia Nebraska Idaho Maine New Hampshire Hawaii Montana Rhode Island Delaware South Dakota North Dakota Alaska District of Columbia Vermont Wyoming 6 votes for roughly ¼ of the U.S. votingage population Sources: United States Census, Electorate profiles: selected characteristics of the citizen, 18 and older population, October 28, 2016; The New York Times, The Small-State Advantage in the United States Senate, March 10, January 3, 2017 Yanni Chen 7

8 FILIBUSTER PRIMER Spike in motions for cloture bring about talks of reform Senate action on cloture motions, 65 th -114 th Congress 1917 present Motions Filed Votes on Cloture Cloture Invoked In the 94 th Congress, the Senate reduced the number of votes required to invoke cloture from twothirds to three-fifths (60 of 100) Source: United States Senate, Senate Action on Cloture Motions, Reference, January 3, 2017 Yanni Chen 8

9 Lawmakers use caucuses to advance common interests CAUCUS PRIMER Lawmakers from either chamber* who share legislative agendas form a congressional member organization to promote common interests Broadcast interest and education public Example: The Congressional Wine Caucus promoted research analyzing wine s contribution to the economy Common interests Include race, ideology, and diverse shared concerns (hunting, the environment, etc.) Build support for legislation Example: The Pro-Choice Caucus wrote a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services firmly backing the ACA s contraception coverage January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown Organize affiliates Example: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus created the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the Building Our Leadership Diversity PAC *Caucuses discussed in this presentation refer specifically to the congressional member organizations officially recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives, which are bicameral, but must contain one member of the House. This excludes the one Senate caucus. Source: U.S. House Committee on House Administration, 2016; Images by Steve Morris and the AIGA, made available through The Noun Project. 9

10 CAUCUS PRIMER Major caucuses formed around Democratic ideology Blue Dog Coalition Co-Chairs Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA) Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) Founded in 1995 Currently consists of 14 members Composed of fiscally conservative Democrats dedicated to the financial stability and national security of the United States Membership has been steadily declining since its height at 44 members in Historically supports budgetary legislation such as pay-as-you-go budgetary rules, the establishment of a bipartisan fiscal commission, and performancebased budgeting Congressional Progressive Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-OR) Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) Founded in 1991 Currently consists of 75 House representatives and 1 senator Dedicated to promoting the progressive promise, which believes in government of the people, by the people, and for the people Has advocated for worker s rights, Social Security expansion and the EPA s Clean Power Plan Current mission focuses on fighting for economic security, protecting civil rights, promoting global peace and advancing environmental protection Source: Blue Dog Coalition, 2017; Congressional Progressive Caucus, January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown 10

11 CAUCUS PRIMER Major caucuses formed around conservative ideology House Freedom Caucus Founded in January 2015 Supports open, accountable, limited government, the Constitution and policies that promote the liberty, safety, and prosperity of all Americans Has supported legislation focused on defunding Planned Parenthood, abolishing the Export-Import Bank and supporting religious freedom The caucus does not publish an official roster. During the 114 th Congress ( ) 38 members openly discussed their membership. Chair Sen. Mark Meadows (R-NC) Republican Study Committee Founded in 1973 Currently consists of over 170 members Dedicated to a limited and Constitutional role for the federal government, a strong national defense, the protection of individual and property rights, and the preservation of traditional family values Considers itself the independent research arm for House Republicans Chair Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) Source: Ryan Lizza, A House Divided, The New Yorker, December 14, 2015; Lindsay McPherson, Mark Meadows elected House Freedom Caucus chairman, Roll Call, December 5, 2016; Timothy B. Lee The House Freedom Caucus, Explained, Vox, October 9, Republican Study Committee, January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown 11

12 CAUCUS PRIMER Major caucuses formed around race and ethnicity Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) Founded in 1971 Aims to advance the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public Led the effort to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday Supported Hurricane Katrina relief Affiliate Congressional Black Caucus Foundation acts a nonprofit research arm, offers fellowships and scholarships Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) Founded in 1976 Established to monitor legislative action to ensure the needs of Hispanics were being met Currently has task forces focused on topics such as immigration and border issues, diversity and inclusion, and healthcare Growing in influence as the nation s Hispanic population steadily increases Affiliate Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute offers fellowships and scholarships Source: Congressional Black Caucus, 2017; Congressional Hispanic Caucus, January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown 12

13 CAUCUS PRIMER Major caucuses formed around common interests Congressional Sportsmen s Caucus Founded in 1989 Promotes hunting, angling, trapping and shooting interests Bicameral and bipartisan; currently has nearly 300 members representing almost all 50 states Affiliate Congressional Sportsmen s Foundation supports caucus s causes and connects voters with representatives Co-Chairs and legislative information on both the state and national level Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition Caucus Founded in 2009 Advocates for clean energy and environmental protection Supports legislation to combat climate change Urged Obama to prepare country for extreme weather, such as Hurricane Sandy, with updated infrastructure, resilience techniques and a climate change panel to analyze causes behind these events Co-Chairs Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA) Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) Source: Congressional Black Caucus, 2017; Congressional Hispanic Caucus, January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown 13

14 CAUCUS PRIMER Senate officially recognizes only one caucus Caucus on International Narcotics Control Founded in 1985 Aims to expand international cooperation against drug abuse and narcotics trafficking and promote narcotics control treaties Has the official status of a standing committee in the Senate Consists of seven members of the Senate; four members represent the majority, three represent the minority No House representatives hold membership in the caucus Chair Co-Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Source: United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, 2017; U.S. Senate, January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown 14

15 CAUCUS PRIMER Miscellaneous caucuses Congressional Horse Caucus Congressional Wine Caucus House Small Brewers Caucus Congressional Boating Caucus Congressional Hockey Caucus Congressional Fraternal Caucus Americans Abroad Caucus Congressional Rock n Roll Caucus Mathematics Education Caucus Congressional Inventions Caucus Invasive Species Caucus Congressional Humanities Caucus Congressional Motorcycle Caucus Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus Congressional Transparency Caucus Congressional Friends of Liechtenstein Caucus Congressional Humanities Caucus Caucuses can be formed for a variety of reasons ranging from political issues to hobbies and often function as a place where like-minded lawmakers can connect over a shared interest. Source: Katherine Skiba, House Members Indulge Interests In Caucus Groups, Chicago Tribune, November 28, 2015,; Sarah Mimms, Got a Hobby or General Interest? There s A Congressional Caucus For That, National Journal, April 18, January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown 15

16 FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS Key terms Mandatory Spending Discretionary Spending Mandatory spending, or entitlement spending, is not controlled by annual appropriations; the government allocates funds to all who are eligible regardless of cost to the Treasury; includes Social Security and Medicare Discretionary spending, or appropriated spending, must be renewed each year in order for the programs to continue operating; includes Defense and Education Budget Resolution Passed by the Senate and the House, sets overall spending limits but does not decide funding for specific programs Deeming Resolution Continuing Resolution Regular Order Legislation used when the House and Senate have not agreed on a budget resolution; establishes enforceable budget levels for a budget cycle Legislation that permits a government agency to continue to operate at existing funding levels if a new appropriations bill to fund its operations has not been adopted by the start of the fiscal year (October 1) Full passage of appropriations bills through both chambers by the start of the fiscal year on October 1 Omnibus Bill Combined package of appropriations bills that leadership in both chambers negotiate in order to pass a comprehensive budget July 27, 2016 Katharine Conlon 16

17 FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS Key offices and committees involved House and Senate Budget Committees Draft annual budget resolutions and monitor the progress of appropriations House and Senate Appropriations Committees House and Senate Ways and Means Committees Decide spending levels for all discretionary programs, such as Defense and Education, after reviewing spending proposals from subcommittees Has jurisdiction over taxes and most mandatory programs, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Non-partisan branch of Congress that provides objective analyses needed for economic and budgetary decisions related to programs covered by the budget Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Works with agencies to coordinate spending requests that become part of the President s annual budget package July 27, 2016 Katharine Conlon 17

18 FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS The budget process has six steps The Federal Budget Process (In Theory) 1 2 In early February, OMB, after reviewing agency proposals, submits the President s annual budget request, detailing the administration s goals for federal revenue and spending, program-by-program funding levels, and project deficits and surpluses. By April 15, Senate and House Budget Committees draft budget resolutions to set total levels of discretionary funding available for the next fiscal year. If a resolution fails to pass both chambers, a chamber will pass a deeming resolution to establish enforceable budget levels. 3 Working within the discretionary funding limits set by the budget resolutions, House and Senate Appropriations Committees assign to each of their twelve subcommittees the task of determining program-byprogram funding. 4 The Appropriations Committees amend and pass subcommittee appropriations bills. Source: American Council on Education, Senate and House leadership negotiate passing all unfinished subcommittee bills together in an omnibus bill. If Congress fails to do this by October 1, it must pass a continuing resolution to keep programs funded, or face partial government shutdown. 6 The President signs the omnibus bill or continuing resolution. July 27, 2016 Owen Minott 18

19 Government shutdown occurs if budget is not passed Congressional budget process flowchart FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS Yes No Did the House and Senate agree on topline budget numbers in a unified budget plan? Did the House and Senate each define how they would prefer to meet budget goals by passing all 12 appropriations bills? Did the House and Senate reach a compromise by combining and passing their 12 appropriations bills? Congress enacts a regular order budget to fund programs through the next fiscal year The House and Senate are less likely to reach a compromise on a binding budget bill if they do not pass a unified budget plan, but both chambers may still move forward in the budget process Did the House and Senate pass an omnibus bill that addresses all unfinished appropriations categories?* Did the House and Senate pass a continuing resolution that funds any unfinished appropriations categories at current levels? Congress passes an omnibus bill to fund programs through the next fiscal year Congress passes a continuing resolution to fund programs until an agreed-upon expiration date A government shutdown occurs due to lack of funding Source: Bill Heniff Jr., Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information, Congressional Research Service, February 7, 2014; Appropriations Legislation for the Years , Library of Congress, October 2014; Billy House and Sarah Mimms, Spending, Immigration, and Tax Fights will Dominate Final Days of Session, National Journal, November 30, July 27, 2016 Katharine Conlon 19

20 FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS In practice, continuing resolutions now common Number of continuing resolutions passed, by fiscal year Average number of CRs per year: 3.8 Source: Kenneth Chamberlain, Congress Use of Continuing Resolutions Is a Common Practice, National Journal, Sept. 11, 2013; Continuing Resolutions: CRs in a Nutshell, Department of the Treasury, 2012; National Journal Research, July 27, 2016 Katharine Conlon 20

21 FY2004 was the last time congress adopted the budget resolution by the target date Budget resolution outcomes in congress, FY FEDERAL BUDGET PROCESS Budget Resolution Passed on Time Budget Resolution Passed After Deadline Budget Resolution Not Passed Fiscal Year Final Resolution Passed Met April 15 th Deadline? # of Days After Deadline /11/ X X NA /28/05 X X X NA /17/07 X /5/08 X /29/09 X X X NA 2012 X X NA 2013 X X NA 2014 X X NA 2015 X X NA /05/2015 X 20 Source: Bill Heniff Jr., Congressional Budget Resolutions: Historical Information, Congressional Research Service, November 16, July 27, 2016 Katharine Conlon 21

22 RULEMAKING PRIMER The administrative procedure act governs the way federal agencies can propose and establish regulations Key terms related to the federal rulemaking process Term Agency Regulations Administrative Procedure Act (APA) Definition Federal department or group that oversees a particular national issue General statements issued by an agency, board, or commission that have the force and effect of law; also know as administrative laws or rules Details the process by which agencies create regulations, ensuring proper review and public consideration Source: Federal Register, 2013; ICF Consulting; Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, January 7, 2016 Alexander Perry 22

23 RULEMAKING PRIMER Both laws and regulations have legal authority, but are enacted through different processes Laws Regulations Congress enacts through complex procedure of proposals and votes in both chambers Have primary legislative force Subject to Presidential veto Have regulatory legal authority Subject to judicial review in court Federal agencies adopt regulations through a public proposal process and review, without a Congressional vote Laws passed by Congress often call for agencies to write or update regulations Have the force and effect of law, but ancillary and subordinate to laws Subject to Congressional review, if it is a major rule Source: Federal Register, 2013; ICF Consulting; Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, January 29, 2016 Alexander Perry and Claire Carter 23

24 RULEMAKING PRIMER Agencies act within wide scope Examples of federal regulations *Agencies are required to publish a Regulatory Plan once a year in the fall and a Regulatory and Deregulatory Agenda in the spring and fall together, they are often referred to as the Unified Agenda Department of Education on improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged Federal Transit Administration on implementing the emergency relief program U.S. Coast Guard on establishing a safety zone on the Detroit River A rule amending a section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, no longer authorizing a State to define modified academic achievement standards and develop alternate assessments based on those modified academic achievement standards for eligible students with disabilities A rule establishing procedures governing the implementation of the Federal Transit Administration s (FTA) Public Transportation Emergency Relief Program, authorized by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21 st Century Act. Date Effective: Sep 21, 2015 Date Effective: Nov 6, 2014 A rule enforcing a security zone associated with the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of the Detroit River in order to ensure safety and security around the NAIAS. No person or vessel may enter the security zone without permission from the Captain of the Port of Detroit Date Effective: Jan. 21, 2016 (until Jan 24, 2016) Source: Federal Register, January 7, 2017 Alexander Perry and Claire Carter 24

25 RULEMAKING PRIMER Federal rulemaking process May pass legislation requiring new regulation Congress May pass resolution of disapproval Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Agency realizes a rule is necessary, brought about by either a petition, a lawsuit congressional order, a federal order, or an accident Agency proposes rule and solicits comments in the Federal Register Agency collects and reviews comments, preparing final draft of regulation Agency submits rule to Congress and Government Accountability Office, then publishes final rule in Federal Register Regulation enters compliance, interpretation, and review phase May order agency to enact regulation May ask to review at any point in rulemaking process May veto regulatio n May become involved in questions of legality White House Source: Federal Register, 2013; ICF Consulting; Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, 2013; Noun Project, Edward Boatman. Judicial Branch November 7, 2016 Alexander Perry and Claire Carter 25

26 RULEMAKING PRIMER Federal rulemaking example Step 1: Agency Realizes a Rule is Necessary International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation petitioned the FDA, requesting an amendment to the standards of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener as an optional ingredient Step 2: Agency Proposes Rule in Federal Register to Solicit Comments The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) have filed a petition requesting that the Agency amend the standard of identity for milk and 17 other dairy products to provide for the use of any safe and suitable sweetener as an optional ingredient. FDA is issuing this notice to request comments, data, and information about the issues presented in the petition. Step 3: Public Submits Comments on Regulations.gov Milk with sweeteners added should not be called milk. We already eat too much sugar and obesity is a rising problem. Artificial sweeteners have no place in a natural product. Kids don't need them and we don't know what health problems they might cause down the line. In fact I don't know how anyone could be considering this. Source: Federal Register, 2013; FDA, 2013; Regulations.gov, 2013; International Dairy Foods Association, 2013; National Milk Producers Federation, 2013; The Noun Project, Edward Boatman. November 7, 2016 Alexander Perry and Claire Carter 26

27 RULEMAKING PRIMER Agencies may skip steps if good cause exists Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Agency realizes a rule is necessary, brought about by either a petition, a lawsuit congressional order, a federal order, or an accident Agency proposes rule and solicits comments in the Federal Register X Agency collects and reviews comments, preparing final draft of regulation X Agency submits rule to Congress and Government Accountability Office, then publishes final rule in Federal Register Regulation enters compliance, interpretation, and review phase Agency establishes good cause for skipping steps if rule has a narrow or minor impact or if problem must be addressed imminently Source: Federal Register, 2013; ICF Consulting; Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, January 7, 2017 Alexander Perry and Claire Carter 27

28 2017 LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY CALENDAR 2017 Legislative and Regulatory Calendar Legislative Regulatory Other January February March April May June July August September October November December Sources: National Journal research, December 14, 2016 Owen Minott Jan. 1: SEC requires companies to provide disclosure of their pay ratios in accordance with Dodd-Frank Jan. 3: Congress enters 2016 session Jan 9: Supreme Court session begins Jan 20: Inauguration of President Trump Jan. 10: DHS deadline for Real ID Act compliance Jan. 31: ACA Open Enrollment Period ends Feb. 6: President s Budget Request (approximate date) April 1: Senate Budget Committee reports concurrent resolution on the budget April 10: Department of Labor final fiduciary rule initial compliance required April 15: Congress completes action on the concurrent resolution on the budget April 28: Fiscal Year 2017 stopgap funding expires April 30: Trump s 100 th day in office March 15: Current debt limit deal expires May 15: Annual appropriation bills may be considered in the House May 17: FDA requirement for cigar package and ad warnings kicks in June 10: House Appropriations Committee reports last annual appropriations bill June 15: Congress completes action on reconciliation legislation June 30: House completes action on annual appropriation bills July 21: US banking organizations must fully comply with final interagency liquidity ratio (LCR) rule July 30: Proposed date for compliance to EPA s Clear Air Act plans if applied for 1 year extension (approximate date) July 31: August Congressional recess begins Sep. 5: Congress returns from August recess Sep. 6: EPA deadline for states to submit Clean Power Plan compliance plans Sep. 30: Children s Health Insurance Program funding expires Sep. 30: Federal Aviation Administration authorization expires 28

29 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 29

30 Welcome to Washington Congressional indicators and insights Page 31 Tracking the status of legislation in the 114th Congress: Use this chart to see how many bills made it through various stages of the legislative process in the 114th Congress Page 32 How a bill does not become a law: Bills face numerous hurdles to enactment during and after the legislative process Page 35 Percentage of bills enacted as law: Chart comparing the share of bills introduced, voted on and enacted as law in the 108th through 114th Congresses Page 36 The downward slope of congressional productivity: Track the decline in Congressional productivity by comparing the number of bills passed by each of the last 34 Congresses Page 37 How the Senate rule change helps the majority: Simple chart illustrating party influence over cloture before and after the Senate rule change January 2017 Presentation Center 30

31 LEGISLATION IN THE 114 TH CONGRESS Tracking the status of legislation in the 114 th Congress A breakdown of the legislative process in the 114 th Congress 9,663 Number of bills and resolutions, by stage of consideration (114th Congress) Referred to committee Ordered reported by committee Passed House Passed Senate Enacted Analysis The vast majority of legislation (86%) in the 114th Congress failed to become law, and most never even came close; only 5% of bills and resolutions were voted on in at least one chamber Sources: GovTrack.us January 9, 2016 Jessica Grischkan 31

32 Bills face numerous obstacles to passage in Senate The legislative process and obstacles in the Senate LEGISLATION IN THE SENATE Bill is ignored by full committee Bill fails passage in subcommittee vote Bill fails passage in full committee vote Introduced to chamber Sent to committee Sent to subcommittee Sent back to committee Sent to House Full Senate vote Amended Debated on Senate floor Placed on legislative calendar Bill fails final vote in full chamber Poison pill amendments sabotage final passage Source: National Journal Research, 2017; The Legislative Process, U.S. House of Representatives. Bill is filibustered during debate on Senate floor The Senate relies on unanimous consent to operate efficiently; therefore, individual senators have the power to delay or prevent a bill s passage by creating additional procedural hurdles, including filibusters. Senate majority leader declines to place bill on the legislative calendar January 9, 2017 Jessica Grischkan 32

33 House rules allow majority party to prevent passage The legislative process and obstacles in the House LEGISLATION IN THE HOUSE Bill is ignored by full committee Bill fails passage in subcommittee vote Bill fails passage in full committee vote Introduced to chamber Sent to committee Sent to subcommittee Sent back to committee Sent to Senate Full Senate vote Debated on House floor Amended Placed on legislative calendar Bill fails final vote in full chamber Bill sent back to committee with a motion to recommit Source: National Journal Research, 2017; The Legislative Process, U.S. House of Representatives. Poison pill amendments sabotage final passage The Senate relies on unanimous consent to operate efficiently; therefore, individual senators have the power to delay or prevent a bill s passage by creating additional procedural hurdles, including filibusters. Speaker of the House declines to place bill on the legislative calendar January 9, 2017 Jessica Grischkan 33

34 ENACTMENT AND ENFORCEMENT Bills continue to face hurdles after passage Process and obstacles for enacting and enforcing laws If the law is challenged in court, a judge can rule to prevent enforcement with an injunction and may eventually strike down the law Signed by president Enacted Executive orders or signing statements can prevent a law from being enforced as originally intended President vetoes bill, Congress can override veto with a supermajority vote Analysis Even if a bill manages to pass both chambers of Congress, the president can use vetoes, executive orders, or signing statements to prevent the bill from being enacted or enforced Opponents of the bill, including those outside of the legislative process, can prevent the law from being enacted by mounting a successful legal challenge Source: National Journal Research, 2017; The Legislative Process, U.S. House of Representatives. January 9, 2017 Jessica Grischkan 34

35 PRESENTATION CENTER CONGRESSIONAL PRODUCTIVITY Percentage of bills enacted as laws Breakdown of bills and resolutions by status, 108 th 114 th Congress Enacted as Law Passed as Resolution Got a Vote Got No Vote 10,669 total bills 13,072 total bills 14,042 total bills 13,675 total bills 12,299 total bills 10,637 total bills 12,063 total bills 81 % 84 % 80 % 82 % 88 % 86 % 86 % 7% 5% 8% 8% 5% 4% 6% 10 % 3% 4% 3% 5% 4% 11 6% 6% 6% 3% % 2% 3% 3% 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th Sources: GovTrack.us, Statistics and Historical Comparison. January 9, 2017 Jessica Grischkan 35

36 CONGRESSIONAL PRODUCTIVITY Congressional productivity has declined since World War II Number of public bills and joint resolutions enacted into law 80 th 114 th Congresses ( ) 906 laws: President Truman popularized the term donothing Congress referring to the 80 th Congress 1,028 laws: The 84 th Congress passed more laws than any other post-wwii due to unified Dem control of both chambers 337 laws: The 104 th Congress reached a then-low due to partisan division following the 1995 government shutdown 284 laws: The 112 th Congress was the least productive on record 328 laws: The 114 th Congress did not address immigration, stagnant wages, a tax overhaul, Garland s Supreme Court nomination or criminal justice reform Sources: Library of Congress; Resumé of Congressional activity, U.S. Senate, 2013; GovTrack.us, Statistics and historical comparison. January 9, 2017 Christine Yan, Emilia Varrone and Libbie Wilcox 36

37 SENATE MAJORITY RULE CHANGE Nuclear option allows nominations to proceed by simple majority Votes needed for most Judicial or Executive Branch nominations to proceed in the 115 th Congress Republican Democrat Independent 60 votes needed to pass 51 votes needed to pass Before Since 1975, 60 votes, or three-fifths majority, were necessary to stop a filibuster on executive and judicial branch nominations and legislation In the past, the previous rule left every nomination vulnerable to filibuster by Republican opposition After Because of the Senate s rule change in November 2013, now only 51 votes, or a simple majority, is necessary to block filibusters on most executive and judicial branch nominations Analysis The Senate approved a procedural rule change in November 2013 that requires 51 rather than the previous 60 to invoke closure and block filibusters for most judicial and executive branch nominations The rule change is a response to the partisan gridlock that has impeded past nominations; in October 2013, Republican senators attempted to delay filling three vacancies on the D.C. Circuit, the most powerful appeals court in the country, via filibusters Republicans in the 115 th Congress as the majority can take advantage of the rule Source: Jeremy W. Peters, In landmark vote, senate limits use of the filibuster, The New York Times, November 21, 2013; Wikimedia Commons. December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 37

38 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 38

39 Welcome to Washington Executive branch overviews Page 40 Presidential power flowchart: The president can deploy different executive powers to shape and block policy even without Congressional accord depending on the circumstances Page 41 Executive branch lobbying restrictions: Learn about restrictions on lobbyists joining and leaving the executive branch and how those restrictions coincide with trends in the lobbying market Page 46 Executive Order primer: Use this primer to explore executive orders used in past and the current administration Page 55 Executive actions vs. executive orders: Table describing the differences in enforcement power of executive actions and executive orders. Page 56 How the president can work around Congress: An overview of the ways the president can work around Congress if they oppose him January 2017 Presentation Center 39

40 PRESIDENTIAL POWER FLOWCHART Constitution explicitly grants the president several powers Executive power flowchart Yes No Shape policy Appoint an official Foreign Domesti c Do current laws or Congressional resolutions support the executive branch s ability to shape this policy? Aside from ratifying treaties or formally declaring war, the president has essentially unchecked authority over most aspects of foreign policy. The president can use an executive order to shape policy; however, Congress can challenge the order s constitutionality in court. The president can propose a federal rule; the rule-making process is lengthy, but it allows for more executive branch input. The president can use a recess appointment to bypass Congress, but only when Congress is out of session for more than ten days. Push back on policy passed by Congress Has the policy already been signed into law? Is Congress currently in recess? Has Congress been in recess for 10 days or more? The president can use a return veto if the law passes, but the veto is subject to an override vote in Congress. The president can attempt a protective return pocket veto; while its constitutionally questionable, it can t be overridden. The president can use a pocket veto, which cannot be overridden by Congress. The president can selectively defend the law or file an amicus brief if someone challenges the law s constitutionality in court. Sources: National Journal Research, 2014; Jess Bravin and Melanie Trottman, Supreme Court Narrows President s Recess-Appointment Powers, Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2014; Louis Fisher, The Pocket Veto: Its Current Status, Congressional Research Service, March 30, 2001; Robert J. Spitzer, Growing Executive Power: The Strange Case of the Protective Return Pocket Veto, Presidential Studies Quarterly, July 19, 2012; Federal Register Executive Orders Disposition Tables, Federal Register, 2013; ICF Consulting; Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, 2013; Daniel J. Meltzer, Executive Defense of Congressional Acts, Duke Law Journal, February 19, 2012; Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs, February 23, January 9, 2017 Libbie Wilcox 40

41 2009 executive order limits lobbying activity by administration staff Lobbying restrictions on incoming and outgoing White House and administration staff EXECUTIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Four restrictions apply to incoming or current employees: Appointees banned from accepting gifts from registered lobbyists or lobbying organizations For at least two years, registered lobbyists joining administration are forbidden from working in areas in which they lobbied Appointees forbidden from participating in any matter directly and substantially related to former employer or former clients Two restrictions apply to departing employees: 1 2 Appointees leaving the administration must refrain from lobbying for at least two years Appointees leaving administration banned from lobbying the Obama administration at any time 4 Appointees must sign ethics pledge promising to follow these restrictions Additional information On his first day in office in 2009, President Obama signed an executive order regulating lobbying activity of incoming and outgoing administration staff. An employee that violates any of these restrictions may face civil action and a ban from lobbying of up to 5 years, in addition to the original 2 years imposed on all departing employees by the executive order The executive order exempts Class C employees (schedulers, drivers, office assistants, etc.) from the requirements, as well as employees who signed the pledge and who transitioned to their current position while serving in another appointed executive branch position without a gap in employment Sources: Executive Order Ethics Commitments, Federal Register, Jan. 20, December 30, 2016 Alexander Perry & Yanni Chen 1

42 EXECUTIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING By 2016, fewer than 1% of appointees had sought waivers or faced penalties under restrictions Executive branch employees compliance with lobbying restrictions (N=8,109) No waivers or violations 99.11% Other 0.89% 0.81% Received waiver Violated policy 0.06% Violated policy & received waiver 0.02% Analysis In 2014, all 6,194 executive branch employees required to sign the ethics pledge had signed it; of those, 54 employees required partial waivers, and only 5 employees were found to have violated the pledge Charles F. Bolden, Administrator of NASA, received a waiver, but was later found to have violated a provision of the pledge not covered by the waiver. Sources: Walter M. Schaub, Jr., Don W. Fox, and Robert I. Cusick, Annual reports on Executive Order 13490, , United States Office of Government Ethics, ; Jeh Charles Johnson, Memorandum for principal deputy Under Secretary of Defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, Department of Defense, Mar. 10, December 30, 2016 Alexander Perry & Yanni Chen 2

43 EXECUTIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Exemptions granted to current, but not former, appointees Examples of executive branch staff lobbying restriction waivers Since 2009, the White House has issued 54 partial waivers to allow individuals who previously worked for or with other organizations to interact with those organizations at some level while in the executive branch, especially when: The appointee lacked a conflicting interest Stephen J. Rapp, Amb. at Large for War Crimes After serving as the UN Independent Prosecutor for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Stephen J. Rapp was appointed Ambassador at Large for War Crimes In his new role, Rapp was likely to interact with the UN, but there was no reason to assume a conflict of interest would arise between Rapp s role as ambassador and the UN s prosecutorial goals Analysis A conflict of interest could be avoided by narrowly tailoring the waiver John Brennan, Former Homeland Security Advisor Homeland Security Advisor John Brennan oversaw investigations regarding security vulnerabilities after the attempted attack by the Underwear Bomber in 2009; The Analysis Corporation, of which Brennan was formerly CEO, was involved in the investigation Brennan was allowed to work on the investigation but was prevented from any aspect of investigation that might directly involve The Analysis Corporation The administration has generally granted exemptions when conflict is unavoidable; for example, department press secretaries often worked as reporters, and barring them from interacting with news agencies would impede their ability to carry out their responsibilities as press secretaries Sources: Walter M. Schaub, Jr., Don W. Fox, and Robert I. Cusick, Annual reports on Executive Order 13490, , United States Office of Government Ethics, ; Jeh Charles Johnson, Memorandum for principal deputy Under Secretary of Defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, Department of Defense, Mar. 10, December 30, 2016 Alexander Perry & Yanni Chen 3

44 16,000 15,000 14,000 13,000 12,000 11,000 10,000 9,000 EXECUTIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING After restrictions implemented, lobbying registration declined Recorded active registered lobbyists, The number of registered lobbyists peaked in 2007 at 14,837; congressional lobbying restrictions were implemented this year, and a decline in registered lobbyists followed In 2009, Obama implemented lobbying restrictions on executive branch employees, after which the number of registered lobbyists fell further still Analysis Between 2007, when congressional lobbying restrictions were implemented, and 2009, the number of registered lobbyists fell 7.9%, from a record high of 14,837 to 13,788. After the executive restrictions on lobbying were implemented in 2009, the number of registered lobbyists dropped another 6.5%, from 13,788 in 2009 to 12,965 in 2010 This decline coincides with the recession as well as the implementation of lobbying restrictions on congressional and executive branch staff Some posit that the decline in the number of registered lobbyists does not represent a decline in lobbying, as there are policy professionals who continue to advocate before the government but whose activities fall short of requiring registration (and are therefore not restricted under new rules) Sources: OpenSecrets.org Lobbying Database, 2017; Tom LaPira, How much lobbying is there in Washington? It s DOUBLE what you think, Sunlight Foundation, Nov. 25, January 3, 2017 Alexander Perry & Yanni Chen 4

45 EXECUTIVE RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING Executive order could be reversed by future president Reversal could cause political backlash Congress is capable, via the precedent set in Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer, of reversing the executive order limiting lobbying activity by executive branch employees. A future presidential administration could overturn the executive action, unless the restrictions are codified by Congress. However, overturning a policy that the public perceives to be an anti-corruption measure could be politically toxic, so the possibility of repeal is, at least initially, low. Some have argued that these restrictions have impeded the White House s ability to hire the most knowledgeable and well-connected people and encouraged lobbyists to de-register. There is some speculation that the Obama administration could lift or loosen the lobbyist restrictions, thereby preventing Clinton from facing the political trouble of doing it herself. Sources: National Journal Research, 2016; Catherine Ho, Signs suggest Hillary Clinton may be more open to lobbyists in her administration, The Washington Post, August 22, December 30, 2016 Alexander Perry & Yanni Chen 5

46 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER Executive Order is a Vaguely Defined Power Constitutional Language on Executive Power and Definition US Constitution Article II, Section 1. Clause 1 The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America... Federal Register Executive orders are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the Federal Government Article II, Section 3. Clause 5 he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States. Analysis Historically, related to routine administrative matters and internal operations of federal agencies In recent times, used more broadly to mandate programs and policies Sources: Office of the Federal Register, Executive Orders, 2016; Legal Information Institute, Executive Power, Cornell University. January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 46

47 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER An Executive Order Can be Challenged, But Hurdles Sometimes High Checks on Executive Orders Checks by other governmen t branches Supreme Court Congress Court may declare executive order unconstitutional if it oversteps Executive power and/or attempts to legislate Case must be heard by Court for Court to exercise authority Congress may pass legislation that conflicts with an executive order, or refuse to approve funding to enforce it President may veto Congressional action 2/3 majority in Congress required to override veto Congressional annulment of executive orders is extremely rare Other limited checks Public Opinion Future Executives Public opinion may deter presidents from using executive order authority on controversial issues Decision on whether to issue order remains up to President, regardless Future presidents may change or repeal a previous president s executive order Sources: Mark Koba, Executive Orders Coming? Here s How They Work, CNBC, January 28, 2014; National Journal Research, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 47

48 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER The Number of Executive Orders Has Declined Dramatically Frequency of Executive Orders, by President (Average Number of Orders Per Year, ) Source: Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, Executive Orders, The American Presidency Project, January 20, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 48

49 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER Executive Order Can Apply to Existing Legislation Recent Examples of Executive Orders Used to Clarify or Alter Legislation President Original Legislation Executive Order George W. Bush Geneva Conventions Specified provisions protecting prisoners of war Executive Order July 20, 2007 Altered/removed Geneva Conventions prisoner of war protections for members of al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces Barack Obama Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Specified requirements for broad-based health insurance and service eligibility, which caused concern that law may subsidize abortions or fund clinics offering termination services Executive Order March 24, 2010 Ensured that Federal funds are not used for abortion services, except in cases of rape or incest, or when life of mother would be endangered Sources: Administration of George W. Bush, Executive Order Interpretation of the Geneva Conventions Common Article 3 as Applied to a Program of Detention and Interrogation Operated by the Central Intelligence Agency, Government Printing Office, July 19, 2007; Office of the Press Secretary, Executive Order Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act s Consistency with Longstanding Restrictions on the Use of Federal Funds for Abortion, The White House, March 24, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 49

50 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER Executive Orders Allow Quick Response to Pressing Issues Timeline of Major Executive Orders in Response to Pressing Issues The Civil War Executive Order (Unnumbered): Emancipation Proclamation The Great Depression Executive Order 7034: Created the Works Progress Administration Little Rock Crisis Executive Order 10730: Sent Federal troops to maintain order while desegregation of Central High School took place Civil Rights Movement Executive Order 11246: Prohibited employment discrimination by US government contractors on basis of race, religion, gender, or national origin; required affirmative action plans September 11 th Attacks Executive Order 13224: Blocked transactions with foreign individuals or entities that have committed or pose risk of committing acts of terrorism Continuing Tensions with Iran Executive Order 13622: Authorized additional sanctions on to Iranian interests Source: National Journal Research, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 50

51 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER Executive Orders Used to Bypass Senate Opposition President George W. Bush s Controversial Faith-Based Funding Initiative What Bush Wanted Senate Response Executive Order Agency Responsibilities with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives President Bust wanted Federal funding and support for religious organizations Issue sparked fierce debate; bill successful in House, but all version blocked in Senate Executive Order Establishment of White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives "It is one of the great goals of my administration to invigorate the spirit of involvement and citizenship. We will encourage faith-based and community programs without changing their mission. We will help all in their work to change hearts while keeping a commitment to pluralism. George W. Bush, January 2001 Source: National Archives, George W. Bush 2001, Federal Register Executive Orders Disposition Tables, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 51

52 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER Executive Orders Used to Bypass House Opposition President Barack Obama s We Can t Wait Campaign What Obama Wanted Specific policies including the American Jobs Act, aimed at creating jobs and boosting the economy House Response House blocked Obama s proposal Executive Order Promoting Efficient Spending Executive Order Establishing Visa and Foreign Visitor Processing Goals and the Task Force On Travel and Competitiveness Executive Order Accelerating Broadband Infrastructure Deployment Non-exhaustive list The most urgent challenge that we face right now is getting our economy to grow faster and to create more jobs. we can t wait for an increasingly dysfunctional Congress to do its job. Where they won t act, I will. President Obama, October 24, 2011 Source: National Archives, Barack Obama 2011, Federal Register Executive Orders Disposition Tables, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 52

53 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER New President Often Means Change to Previous Orders Sampling of Changes to Previous President s Executive Orders First 90 Days February 1, 1993 Executive Order Revokes executive orders concerning federal contracting (12818, 12800) March 9, 1993 Executive Order Supersedes previous order concerning nuclear cooperation with EURATOM (12791) First 90 Days February 17, 2001 Executive Order Revokes removal of certain orders concerning federal contracting (12836*) February 17, 2001 Executive Order Revokes order and memorandum concerning labor-management partnerships (12871) First 90 Days February 17, 2001 Executive Order Revokes order on nondisplacement of qualified workers under certain contracts(12933) April 4, 2001 Executive Order Revokes continuation of export control regulations (12924) January 21, 2009 Executive Order Revokes further implementation of the Presidential Records Act (13233) January 22, 2009 Executive Order Revokes interpretation of Geneva Conventions Common Law 3, and ensures lawful interrogation (13440) February 5, 2009 Executive Order Amends WH Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives; establishes President's Advisory Council for Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (13440) March 9, 2009 Executive Order Revokes barriers to scientific research involving human stem cells (13435) Source: National Archives, Federal Register Executive Orders Disposition Tables, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon *Partially revoked 53

54 PRESENTATION CENTER EXECUTIVE ORDER PRIMER Executive Orders Do Not Compensate for a Hostile Congress Presidential Executive Orders and Congressional Victories, by President Executive Orders Congressional Victory Percentage Kennedy Johnson Nixon Ford Carter Reagan Bush I Clinton Bush II Obama * Ornstein and Mann: [Presidential Congressional Victory] percentages indicate the number of congressional votes supporting the president divided by the total number of votes on which the president had taken a clear position. Source: Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann, Presidential Victories on Votes in Congress, , Brookings/AEI Vital Statistics on Congress: Chapter 8, April 18, January 29, 2016 Katharine Conlon 54

55 EXECUTIVE ACTIONS VS. EXECUTIVE ORDERS Execution actions differ from executive orders in use, legal power Differences between executive orders and executive actions Published in Federal Register? Enforced as law? Whom can they compel to act? Executive orders Yes Executive orders are formally published in the Federal Register and are recorded along with other executive regulations Yes Executive orders carry the same weight and power of enforcement as a law Actors in and outside the government Executive orders can compel action by government officials and private citizens Executive actions No Executive actions are merely internal directives to the executive branch; they are likely to be recorded for the public record as a matter of executive intent and interpretation, but are not formally published No Executive actions do not carry the force of law in and of themselves, but executive agencies are strongly encouraged (effectively, required) to follow any enforcement guidelines given in executive actions Only actors inside the government Executive actions are internal policy positions, and do not compel action by those outside of the government. For this reason, the executive branch may use executive actions to make it more difficult for non-governmental parties to establish standing in court and challenge the action Sources: Sources: Scott Neuman, So what is an executive action anyway? NPR, November 20, 2014; Tom Murse, Executive actions versus executive orders, About News, 2014; Ben Goad, Obama finding ways to wield power without executive orders, The Hill, March 28, 2013; Vivian S. Chu and Todd Garvey, Executive Orders: Issuance, Modification, and Revocation, Congressional Research Service, April 16, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 55

56 President may exercise executive power to act around Congress Key executive powers HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Executive orders Cognitive power Federal rules President Congress Foreign policy powers Vetoes Recess appointments Sources: Alex WaZa, The White House, The Noun Project, 2016; Martha Ormiston, Congress, The Noun Project, 2016; The White House, The Executive branch, Our government, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 56

57 Executive order is a vaguely defined power HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Constitutional language on executive power and definition US Constitution Article II, Section 1. Clause 1 The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America... Federal register Executive orders are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the president manages the operations of the federal government Article II, Section 3. Clause 5 he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States. Analysis Historically, related to routine administrative matters and internal operations of federal agencies In recent times, used more broadly to mandate programs and policies Sources: Office of the Federal Register, Executive Orders, 2016; Legal Information Institute, Executive Power, Cornell University. January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 57

58 Executive orders give the president flexibility to work around Congress to set policy Functions and examples of executive orders HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Clarify or alter legislation passed by Congress Example: Obama signed an executive order forbidding federal funds attached to the ACA from being spent on abortion Respond to current events Example: Obama signed an executive order setting up a commission to settle a railroad strike Bypass partisan opposition Example: Obama signed an executive order increasing the minimum wage for federal contractors after congressional inaction on minimum wage legislation Change or reverse a previous executive order Example: Obama signed an executive order revoking restrictions on executive branch archiving put in place under George W. Bush Sources: National Journal Research, 2016; Federal Register Executive Orders Disposition Tables. January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 58

59 HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS The number of executive orders has declined Frequency of executive orders by president Average number of orders per year, Source: Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, Executive Orders, The American Presidency Project, January 9, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 59

60 Cognitive power enables the president to influence national agenda Cognitive powers HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Conversion Changing public opinion from one side of an issue to another Framing Presenting a vision of how to view a particular issue Priming Reminding voters of an issue and bringing it to the forefront of discussion Issue Installation Introducing voters to an issue for the first time and setting their position on it Analysis As the single most visible and well-known figure in domestic politics, the president has a unique platform to alter and affect the public s view on various issues Cognitive power, sometimes called the bully pulpit, refers to the president s ability to influence public opinion through speeches and public announcements Sources: Jeffrey E. Cohen and John A. Hamman, Presidential Ideology and the Public Mood: , In the Public Domain: Presidents and the Challenges of Public Leadership, 2006; Martha Ormiston, Separate, The Noun Project, 2016; MoRiza, Hand Framing, The Noun Project, 2016; Guilherme Simoes, Move to Front, The Noun Project, 2016; Gregor Črešnar, Innovative, The Noun Project, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 60

61 HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Federal rulemaking enables the president to direct the activities of federal agencies Process of federal rulemaking Analysis Rulemaking may be a slower route to circumventing Congress than executive orders, which can be signed into law immediately However, rules are also harder to revoke by future administrations Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Agency realizes a rule is necessary, brought about by either a petition, a lawsuit, congressional order, or a federal order Agency proposes rule and solicits comments in the Federal Register Agency collects and reviews comments, preparing final draft of regulation Agency submits rule to Congress and Government Accountability Office, then publishes final rule in Federal Register Regulation enters compliance, interpretation, and review phase Agency establishes good cause for skipping steps if rule has a narrow or minor impact or if problem must be addressed imminently Source: Federal Register, 2013; ICF Consulting; Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 61

62 Foreign policy powers enable the president to control the nation s international positioning and agenda Executive powers in setting foreign policy HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Diplomatic Trade Military The president is the nation s main diplomatic point of contact with foreign leaders and also has the ability to dictate entrance into international partnerships and agreements Example: One of the first things presidents have done when entering into office is dictate whether or not the U.S. will work with international organizations that support or oppose abortion rights The The president president has has the the authority to engage in and authority to engage in and enforce enforce trade trade agreements agreements Example: Obama chose not Example: Obama chose not to to enforce enforce an an international international trade council ruling which trade council ruling which would would have have prevented prevented Apple Apple from from selling selling ipads ipads and and iphones in the U.S. iphones in the U.S. As commander-in-chief, the president has nearly unchecked ability to engage in national defense Example: The president has unilateral control over the military and can generally enter into international engagements without check; Congress could cut military funding to stop an operation, but such a move would be difficult and likely unpopular Sources: National Journal Research, 2014; Dante D Orazio, President Obama vetoes Samsung patent ban on iphone 4 and select ipads, The Verge, August 3, 2013; Muharrem Fevzi Çelik, Hand Shake, 2016; Parkjisun, Global, 2016; Road Signs, Tank, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 62

63 HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Veto power enables president to block legislation Forms of executive veto power Return veto Pocket veto Protective return pocket veto When can it be used? While Congress is in session After the final adjournment of a Congressional session During shorter intra- or inter-session recesses Can it be overridden? Yes; with a 2/3 vote of both chambers of Congress No No Sources: Louis Fisher, The Pocket Veto: Its Current Status, Congressional Research Service, March 30, 2001; Robert J. Spitzer, Growing Executive Power: The Strange Case of the Protective Return Pocket Veto, Presidential Studies Quarterly, July 19, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 63

64 President is likely to veto legislation more often when opposition controls both chambers Presidential vetoes by Congress, 1981-present HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS President s party controls at least one chamber Opposition controls both chambers Average number of vetoes when opposition controls both chambers: 15 Average number of vetoes when president s party controls at least one chamber: 6.2 Source: Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, Presidential Vetoes, The American Presidency Project, July 22, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 64

65 Recess appointments enable the president to select executive branch leaders Recess appointment process HOW THE PRESIDENT CAN WORK AROUND CONGRESS Session Year 1 Session Year 1 Session Year 2 RECESS President can appoint individuals during senate recesses of ten or more days, but cannot appoint during pro forma sessions Appointments expire at the end of the next session of Congress Analysis Presidential recess appointments allow the president to impact the policy landscape by appointing new staff to executive agencies The Supreme Court ruling in NLRB v. Noel Canning prevents the use of recess appointments when the Senate is in a pro forma session (a session without formal debate or action, where the body is nominally declared in session) Sources: Jess Bravin and Melanie Trottman, Supreme Court Narrows President s Recess-Appointment Powers, Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2014; G. Roger King and Bryan J. Leitch, The Impact of the Supreme Court s Noel Canning Decision Years of Litigation on the Horizon for the NLRB, Bloomberg BNA, June 27, 2014; Vivian S. Chu and Todd Garvey, Executive Orders: Issuance, Modification, and Revocation, Congressional Research Service, April 16, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 65

66 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 66

67 Welcome to Washington Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Page 68 How a Proposed Regulation Does Not Become a Rule: Flowchart describing the hurdles to enactment for a proposed federal rule during and after the regulatory process Page 69 Legislation vs. Regulation: Legislation and regulations are proposed and considered through different procedures, but both have the force of law when finalized Page 70 Senate confirmation primer: Important legislative, regulatory and other dates in 2017 Page 74 How a nominee does not get confirmed: Use this graphic to explain why many executive and judicial nominations are stalled or blocked during the Senate confirmation process January 2017 Presentation Center 67

68 FEDERAL RULES Proposed rules can be blocked by public or congress Process and obstacles for enacting and enforcing federal rules Congress Recommends Creation of Rule An agency may decide to scrap the proposed regulation after reviewing comments from interested parties and other government officials Congress may pass a Resolution of Disapproval prior to the rule s enactment, which, if signed by the President, will void the rule Congress may pass new legislation restricting agencies ability to enforce the rule President Orders Creation of Rule! Agency Proposes Rule Public Comments on Regulation Rule is Finalized/Published Congress/President Can Review Rule is Enacted If the rule is Agency Notices Problem challenged in court, a judge can prevent enforcement with an injunction and Note may eventually The public comment period is the main obstacle to finalizing a rule; strike down the comments from knowledgeable insiders can significantly alter or rule Source: Katie Weatherford, Attempts to Use Congressional eliminate the Review rule Act for Proposed Rules Threaten All Public Safeguards, Center for Effective Government, March 11, August 12, 2016 Katharine Conlon 68

69 Different processes for passing legislation, regulation, but same force of law Differences between legislation and regulation LEGISLATION VS. REGULATION Legislation Introduced by Altered by Can be stopped by Finalized when Has the effect of Lawmakers Any senator or congressperson can introduce legislation Congress Committees in either chamber can alter proposed legislation through the amendment process Stalling/Failing in Congress Legislation may be stopped if it stalls in the committee phase, fails a vote or cloture motion, is vetoed, or is not brought up by the other chamber Signed by President or Congress Overrides Veto The president can sign the bill into law, or Congress can override a presidential veto by two- thirds majorities in both chambers Law Finalized legislation has the binding force of law Federal Agencies The Public Congress/The Public Published Law A federal agency may The public and A proposed regulation A regulation becomes Exactly the same as draft a regulation after interested parties may be stopped in its a rule when it is legislation; a finalized reviewing or finding may attempt to tracks by strong, published into the regulation has the ambiguity in a law and change a proposed nearly unanimous or Federal Register after binding force of law Regulation realizing a clarifying regulation by very influential public final consideration of regulation is submitting comments, or a comments and necessary; regulations comments, which resolution of adjustments must be based in laws require disapproval by already passed consideration and Congress (which can Source: Federal Register, 2013; Scales by The response Noun Project; by the ICF Consulting; be vetoed Office of by Information the and Regulatory Affairs, OMB, agency president) January 6, 2016 Katharine Conlon and Owen Minott 69

70 SENATE CONFIRMATION PROCESS Nominees can face many barriers in the confirmation process Senate confirmation process and obstacles Information uncovered during the committee s background check on the nominee could derail the nomination Committee members can delay or derail a nomination by requesting additional time or information before a hearing The committee may vote not to report the nominee to the Senate or may attach an unfavorable recommendation to the report Reporting a candidate to the Senate requires a majority of the committee members support President refers nominee to relevant Senate committee Committee holds hearing Committee reports nominee to full Senate Senate votes to confirm Senate debates nomination All nominees require a simple majority to be confirmed, except for Supreme Court nominees, which need 60 votes A final vote to confirm the nominee could fail, but most failed nominations are halted earlier in the process Individual senators can filibuster or place a hold on a nominee, which can only be overcome via a cloture vote Source: National Journal Research, 2014; Maeve Carey, Presidential Appointments, the Senate s Confirmation Process, and Changes Made in the 112 th Congress, Congressional Research Service, November 25, 2013; Christopher Davis and Jerry Mansfield, Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations, Congressional Research Service, November 25, December 19, 2016 Owen Minott 70

71 CABINET CONFIRMATIONS Can Democrats do anything to block Trump s nominees? Potential roadblocks for the nomination process Cabinet nominees: GOP needs simple majority to confirm votes needed to confirm executive branch nominee* +2 Republicans support needed to block Trump nominee, if no Democrats vote to confirm *also applies to court appointments other than the Supreme Court Supreme Court nominee: GOP needs 60 votes to prevent a filibuster In 2013, then Senate majority leader Harry Reid and his fellow Democrats changed the rules so that executive branch nominees require only 51 votes to be confirmed; previously 60 votes were required to prevent a filibuster Since Democrats only have 48 seats in the Senate, they will need the support of 2 Republican senators to block any appointment So far Trump s secretary of state pick, Rex Tillerson, seem most vulnerable. GOP Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ) have voiced concerns about him and his ties to Russia. 60 votes are still required to prevent a filibuster on Supreme Court nominees However, if Democrats filibuster the SCOTUS nominee, majority leader Mitch McConnell could further change the rules to eliminate filibusters for the Supreme Court; the GOP would then need only 51 votes to confirm SCOTUS nominees as well McConnell has been very critical of limiting filibusters in the past, and he may fail to get even 50 votes since some GOP senators such as Susan Collins would likely be opposed We re going to confirm the president s nominee one way or the other. And there s an easy way and there s a hard way. - Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) Source: Ballotpedia, 2016; Carl Hulse, Hard choice for Mitch McConnell: end the filibuster or preserve tradition, November 11, 2016, The New York Times; Burgess Everett, GOP could nuke filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, Politico, November 11, 2016; Karoun Demirjian, President Trump s cabinet picks are likely to be easily confirmed. That s because of Senate Democrats, The Washington Post, November 18, Deember 21, 2016 Owen MInott 71

72 Senate committees hold hearings to vet candidates in departments under their jurisdiction Senate committees and their jurisdictions CABINET CONFIRMATIONS Senate committee Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Armed Services Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Commerce, Science and Transportation Energy and Natural Resources Finance Foreign Relations Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Judiciary Small Business and Entrepreneurship Veterans Affairs Intelligence Holds hearings for positions in: Department of Agriculture Department of Defense Department of Housing and Urban Development, SEC, FDIC Department of Transportation, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Commerce Department of Energy, Dept. of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency Department of Treasury Department of State, IMF, USAID, Peace Corps, Ambassadors Department of Health and Human Services, Dept. of Education, Dept of Labor, FDA Department of Homeland Security Supreme Court, Circuit Courts, District Courts, Department of Justice Small Business Administration Department of Veterans Affairs Central Intelligence Agency, Director of National Intelligence Source: Ballotpedia, Deember 21, 2016 Owen MInott 72

73 Most of President Obama s first cabinet was confirmed within a week of his inauguration CABINET CONFIRMATIONS President Obama s first cabinet Members listed in order by date confirmed Name Role Date confirmed Days after inauguration Ken Salazar Secretary of the Interior January 20 0 Tom Vilsack Secretary of Agriculture January 20 0 Hillary Clinton Secretary of State January 21 1 Janet Napolitano Secretary of Homeland Security January 21 1 Steven Chu Secretary of Energy January 21 1 Arne Duncan Secretary of Education January 21 1 Eric Shinseki Secretary of Veterans Affairs January 21 1 Ray LaHood Secretary of Transportation January 23 3 Timothy Geithner Shaun Donovan Secretary of the Treasury January 26 6 Secretary of Housing and Urban Dev. January 26 6 Eric Holder Attorney General February 2 13 Analysis While cabinet positions receive priority, other nominations may take much longer to confirm It took an average of 45 days from nomination to Senate confirmation for the administration s top 60 positions during President Obama s first term The administration did not fill all of its top 60 positions until nearly one year after inauguration Hilda Solis Secretary of Labor February Ron Kirk Secretary of Trade March Source: Ballotpedia, 2016; Partnership for Public Service, Presidential transition guide, April Gary Locke Secretary of Commerce March November 2, 2016 Justin Brown 73

74 PRESENTATION CENTER SENATE CONFIRMATION PROCESS Nominees can face many barriers in the confirmation process Senate confirmation process and obstacles Information uncovered during the committee s background check on the nominee could derail the nomination Committee members can delay or derail a nomination by requesting additional time or information before a hearing The committee may vote not to report the nominee to the Senate or may attach an unfavorable recommendation to the report President Refers Nominee to Relevant Senate Committee Committee Holds Hearing Committee Reports Nominee to Full Senate Senate Votes to Confirm Senate Debates Nomination A final vote to confirm the nominee could fail, most failed nominations are halted earlier in the process Individual Senators can filibuster or place a hold on a nominee, which can only be overcome via a cloture vote Source: National Journal Research, 2014; Maeve Carey, Presidential Appointments, the Senate s Confirmation Process, and Changes Made in the 112 th Congress, Congressional Research Service, November 25, 2013; Christopher Davis and Jerry Mansfield, Presidential Appointee Positions Requiring Senate Confirmation and Committees Handling Nominations, Congressional Research Service, November 25, December 19, 2016 Owen Minott 74

75 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 75

76 Welcome to Washington Lobbying tools and statistics Page 77 Number of lobbyists vs. lobbying spending: A look at this slide to compare the total number of registered lobbyists compared to the total amount of lobbying spending from Page 78 Lobbyists per member of Congress: The number of registered lobbyists continues to fall as fewer people register as lobbyists Page 79 Lobbyists per member of Congress by type: This graphic breaks down the number of registered lobbyists in relation to key influencers in Congress Page 80 Advocacy day follow-up actions: Tips to help advocates serve as a resource to members of Congress after face-to-face meetings January 2017 Presentation Center 76

77 LOBBYING SPENDING Number of lobbyists rises and falls as lobbying spend rises and stabilizes Registered lobbyists and total lobbying spending In Billions It is likely that lobbying spending has remained stable even as the number of registered lobbyists has declined because ex-lobbyists have shifted their job responsibilities to avoid lobbying disclosure and registration requirements Source: OpenSecrets, January 10, 2017 Owen Minott Jr. 77

78 RATIO OF CONGRESSMEN TO LOBBYISTS There are 20 registered lobbyists per member of Congress Registered lobbyists per member of Congress, : 20 Members of Congress to registered lobbyists Analysis There are 535 members of Congress As of October 2016, there were 10,882 registered lobbyists For every member of Congress, there are about 20 registered lobbyists competing for his or her time and attention The number of lobbyist has decreased consistently since 2007 The drop in the number of lobbyists is due in part to President Obama s lobby curbing policies; however, it is likely the number has fallen so drastically because fewer people are registering as lobbyists, choosing instead to dodge the classification by lobbying less than 20 percent of their time Source: OpenSecrets.org, Lobbying Database, January 10, 2016 Madelaine Pisani and Libbie Wilcox 1

79 RATIO OF CONGRESSMEN TO LOBBYISTS There are 20 registered lobbyists per member of Congress Registered lobbyists per member of Congress, : 20 Members of Congress to registered lobbyists 1 : 226 Committee chairs* to registered lobbyists 1 : 989 Members of majority leadership** to registered lobbyists *48 committee chairs ** 11 members of majority leadership Analysis Most lobbyists aim to access the most influential members of Congress to increase their chances of moving votes As these members represent a smaller subsection of Congress, there are hundreds of lobbyists per influential member vying for that Member s time Source: OpenSecrets.org, Lobbying Database, 2016 January 10,2016 Madelaine Pisani and Libbie Wilcox 1

80 Use follow-ups to build trust and to become a resource Steps to take following a meeting with a member of Congress Send a thank you message Send a follow-up several days after meeting with a Member Keep the message brief, thank the office for their time, and remind the office of the issue at hand Leave a link to a reliable source of information on the issue for the office to reference Attend events in the district Attend town hall meetings or other public events in the district to build a stronger relationship with your representative Find opportunities to engage in policy matters in the district and serve as trustworthy resource to earn visibility for your issue Stay in touch Quick takes Advocates can become trusted resources for lawmakers by following up and keeping in touch with them after face-to-face meetings Advocates should consider following the steps to the left to position themselves as effective and trustworthy advocates for their issue Do not over-communicate with Members of Congress, but do pass along new information about your issue as it is released Communicate with your representative in a respectful and informative manner to gain the representative s respect for you and your points of view Sources: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, Face-to-Face with Congress: Before, During, and After Meetings with Legislators, January 9, 2017 Daniel Stublen 80

81 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 81

82 Welcome to Washington Congressional composition Page 83 Control of the 115th Senate: A comparison of the control of Senate seats after the 2016 election Page 84 Composition of the 115th Senate: A map of the composition of the 115th Senate ( ) Page 85 Control of the 115th House: A side-by-side comparison of the partisan breakdown of the 114th Congress and the 115th Congress Page 86 Composition of the 115th House: A map of the composition of the 115th House ( ) Page 87 Biographies of freshmen Senators in the 115th Congress: Biographies of all the Senators elected for the first time in the 115th Congress January 2017 Presentation Center 82

83 In 2016, the Republican Party lost one seat but maintained a majority in the Senate Control of the 114 th vs. 115 th Senate SENATE RACES Democrats Republicans Independents Control of the 114 th Senate ( ) Control of the 115 th Senate ( ) Republican Senate Majority Republican Senate Majority Source: National Journal research, December 12, 2016 Madelaine Pisani and Libbie Wilcox 83

84 After the 2016 elections, the Republican Party maintains its majority in the Senate Composition of the 115 th Senate SENATE RACES 2 Democrats 2 Republicans 1 Democrat + 1 Republican 1 Democrat + 1 Independent 1 Republican + 1 Independen WA OR ID MT WY ND SD MN WI MI VT NY ME NH CA NV AZ UT CO NM NE KS OK IA MO AR IL OH IN KY TN PA WV VA NC SC MA RI CT MS AL GA NJ AK TX LA DE HI FL MD DC Source: National Journal research, December 12, 2016 Yanni Chen and Libbie Wilcox 84

85 HOUSE RACES Republicans retain control of House; limit Democratic gains in 2016 elections Control of the 114 th vs. 115 th House Democrats Republicans Independents Vacant Control of the 114 th House ( ) Control of the 115 th House ( ) 218 Needed for Majority 218 Needed for Majority Republican House Majority Republican House Majority Source: National Journal research, 2016; AP, November 9, 2016 Justin C. Brown and Alexander Perry 85

86 HOUSE RACES Democrats gain net seven seats, Republicans maintain majority Composition of the 115 th House Democratic winner Republican winner Democrats: 194 Republicans: 241 January 11, 2017 Peter Sadosky and Libbie Wilcox 86

87 KAMALA HARRIS Sen. Kamala Harris Biography Biography Position Elected: Senator, California Elected: 2016 Education: Howard University, B.A. 1986; UC Hastings College of Law, J.D Religion: Baptist Contact: Kamala Harris was born in Oakland, California in Her mother, an immigrant from India, was a breast cancer specialist, while her father was a Jamaican-American economics professor at Stanford University. Harris was raised in Berkeley and Oakland, California and Montreal, Canada. Following her graduation from Westmount High School, Harris attended Howard University for her undergraduate degree, and then the University of California Hastings College of the Law. After earning her law degree in 1989, Harris joined the Alameda County District Attorney s Office, where she was promoted after a year to deputy attorney for Alameda County and worked until 1998, specializing in prosecuting cases involving violent crimes. She was then made managing attorney of the Career Criminal Unit in the San Francisco District Attorney s Office and then in 2000, chief of the Community and Neighborhood Division for the City Attorney of San Francisco, where she oversaw civil code enforcement. From 2003 to 2010, Harris served as district attorney of the City and County of San Francisco. She won the 2010 race for California attorney general and has held the position since. Harris is the first female, first African-American and first Asian-American to hold the position in California, as well as the first Tamil attorney general ever, in US history. As California attorney general, Harris focused on issues such as transnational gangs, human trafficking, online privacy, reducing recidivism and the national foreclosure crisis. Harris won the general election over fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez for the congressional seat, after both defeated 32 other candidates in the primary. Stance on Issues Committees Opposes the sale of recreational marijuana but supports medical marijuana Supports national climate change legislation and the Clean Power Plan Favors reinstating the Assault Weapons Ban Supports a woman s right to choose Favors strengthening the Voting Rights Act To be announced Election Results 2016 General Kamala Harris (D) Votes: 7,542,753 Percent: 61.6% Loretta Sanchez (D) Votes: 4,710,417 Percent: 38.4% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac January 6, 2017 Yanni Chen, Madelaine Pisani 87

88 TAMMY DUCKWORTH Sen. Tammy Duckworth Biography Biography Position Elected: Senator, Illinois Elected: 2016 Education: University of Hawaii, B.A. 1989; George Washington University, M.A., 1992; Capella University, Ph.D., 2015 Religion: Deist Contact: Tammy Duckworth was born in 1968 in Bangkok, Thailand. The daughter of a Vietnam War veteran father and a Thai mother, Duckworth spent much of her early life abroad, moving with her father s jobs at the United Nations and, later, at international companies. Living in Singapore and Indonesia before moving to Hawaii at the age of 16, Duckworth obtained her undergraduate degree in marine biology at the University of Hawaii and then a master s degree in international affairs at George Washington University. During her time at George Washington University, Duckworth joined the Army Reserve Officers Training Corps. Duckworth s family on her father s side has a long tradition of military service, including ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War. In 1992, she became a commissioned officer in the US Army Reserve and elected to fly helicopters. Four years later, Duckworth joined the Illinois Army National Guard. While pursuing doctoral work at Northern Illinois University, she was deployed to Iraq in 2004, despite opposing President George W. Bush s decision to invade the country. That November, Duckworth co-piloted a UH-60 Black Hawk that was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by Iraqi insurgents. As a result of the explosion, she lost both of her legs and sustained serious damage to her right arm. She received a Purple Heart later that year and continued to serve as lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army Guard. In 2012, she was elected as the House Representative for Illinois s 8 th congressional district, becoming the first member of Congress born in Thailand and the first disabled woman to be elected to the House. She was reelected in In the 2016 Senate race, Duckworth defeated incumbent Mark Kirk. Stance on Issues Committees Strongly favors laws against job discrimination Strongly favors expansion of Obamacare Strongly opposes vouchers for school choice Favors green energy Strongly favors abortion rights Opposes expanding the military Strongly favors pathway to citizenship Voted against the American SAFE Act of 2015 To be announced Tammy Duckworth (D) Election Results 2016 General Votes: 2,908,363 Percent: 54.4% Mark Kirk (R) Votes: 2,150,099 Percent: 40.2% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac January 6, 2017 Yanni Chen, Madelaine Pisani 88

89 TODD YOUNG Sen. Todd Young Biography Todd Young was born on August 24,1972 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Hamilton County, Indiana and graduated from Carmel High School in Young enlisted in the US Navy after graduating high school and later received an appointment to attend the Naval Academy. He graduated cum laude in 1995 earning a B.S. in political science. In 1998,Young transferred to Chicago, Illinois where he managed all Marine Corps officer recruiting operations in the Greater Chicago region while earning his MBA from the University of Chicago. Young was honorably discharged from active duty in 2000 and spent a year in London receiving his M.A. in American politics. Todd Young first ran for Congress in Indiana s 9 th district in 2010 and won by 10 points (52-42). He has established a conservative voting record during his three terms in the House. He faced a tough Senate race in 2016 against Democratic candidate Evan Bayh in which over $11 million was raised. Biography Position Elected: Senator, Indiana Elected: 2016 Education: US Naval Academy, B.S. 1995; University of Chicago, MBA 1999; University of London, M.A. 2001; Indiana University, J.D. 2006; Stance on Issues Supports repealing and replacing Obamacare Supports 2 nd amendment rights Pro-life Opposes higher taxes on the wealthy Favors vouchers for school choice Opposes expansion of free trade Opposes prioritizing green energy Favors privatizing Social Security Religion: Christian Opposes staying out of Iran Contact: Opposes never legalizing marijuana Sources: ToddYoung/ Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac Committees To be announced Election Results 2016 General Todd Young (R) Votes: 1,423,991 Percent: 52.1% Evan Bayh (D) Votes: 1,158,947 Percent: 42.4% January 6, 2017 Justin C. Brown, Madelaine Pisani 89

90 JOHN KENNEDY Sen. John Kennedy Biography Biography Currently: Senator, LA Elected: 2016 Education: Vanderbilt University, B.A., 1973, University of Virginia, J.D., 1977 Religion: Methodist Family: Married (Becky), 1 son Contact: (225) Republican John Neely Kennedy was born on November 21, 1951 in southwestern Mississippi. Kennedy graduated magna cum laude in political science, philosophy and economics from Vanderbilt; was president of his senior class; and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia and his B.C.L. degree from Oxford University in England. He is an adjunct professor at LSU Law School and is a volunteer substitute teacher for East Baton Rouge Parish public schools. Kennedy served as special counsel to Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer from and as secretary in the governor s cabinet from He also worked as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue from He was sworn in as Louisiana state treasurer in 2000 after winning the 1999 general election as a Democrat. He was re-elected three times, most recently in In August 2007, Kennedy changed his party affiliation to Republican and was reelected to a third term, unopposed in November of that year. In that role Kennedy oversaw the state's$10.6 billion investment portfolio, as well as local and state bond issues and returned unclaimed property. In 2016, Kennedy ran in the Republican jungle primary for incumbent David Vitter s open seat following his decision to retire. A total of 24 candidates filed to run. On November 8, 2016, John Kennedy and Foster Campbell (D) took the top two spots and advanced to a runoff on December 10th. He defeated Campbell in the runoff by over 21 percentage points. Stance on Issues Committees Supports the 2 nd Amendment Strongly favors supporting Israel Opposes the TPP Opposes amnesty for illegal aliens Favors a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget TBD Election Results 2016 General John Kennedy (R) Votes: 536,191 Percent: 60.7% Foster Campbell (D) Votes: 347,816 Percent: 39.3% Sources: Johnkennedy.com, National Journal Almanac, Ballotpedia January 6, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 90

91 CHRIS VAN HOLLEN Sen. Chris Van Hollen Biography Position Elected: Senator, Maryland Elected: 2016 Education: Swarthmore College, B.A. 1982; Harvard University, M.P.P. 1985; Georgetown University, J.D Religion: Episcopalian Contact: en Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac January 6, 2017 Katharine Conlon, Madelaine Pisani Biography Chris Van Hollen was born in 1959 in Karachi, Pakistan, where his father worked as a foreign service officer. His mother worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department. In addition to Pakistan, Van Hollen spent his early years in Turkey, India and Sri Lanka. He moved back to the United States for his junior year of high school to attend Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. Van Hollen graduated from Swarthmore College with his Bachelor s of Arts in Philosophy and then went on to Harvard University for his Master of Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government. From 1985 to 1987, Van Hollen worked as a legislative assistant for defense and foreign policy to Senator Charles Mathias (R) from Maryland. In addition, he also spent time as a staff member of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate and he was a legislative advisor to Governor William Donald Schaefer from Maryland. In 1990, Van Hollen earned his law degree from Georgetown Law School. After being admitted to the Maryland state bar, Van Hollen joined the law firm of Arent Fox. From 1991 to 2003, he served in the Maryland General Assembly. While in the Maryland State Senate ( ), Van Hollen served on the Budget and Taxation Committee and the Health and Human Services Subcommittee. He worked on efforts to raise the tobacco tax, increase funding for education and prohibit oil drilling in the Chesapeake Bay. In 2003, Van Hollen became the U.S. Representative for Maryland s 8 th congressional district. The largest employer in the district is the federal government, so Van Hollen worked on issues relating to it. He secured federal funding for transportation initiatives, homeland security and more. Stance on Issues Committees Favors expanding Obamacare Strongly favors prioritizing green energy Strongly opposes vouchers for school choice Strongly opposes privatized Social Security Favors strong regulation of the fracking industry at the federal level To be announced Chris Van Hollen (D) Election Results 2016 General Votes: 1,659,907 Percent: 60.9% Kathy Szeliga (R) Votes: 972,557 Percent: 35.7% 91

92 MAGGIE HASSAN Sen. Maggie Hassan Biography Maggie Hassan, born February 27, 1958, ran for Senate while she was the governor of New Hampshire. She grew up in the Boston suburbs before acquiring degrees from Brown and Northeastern. Before entering public service, she was an information officer for the Massachusetts Department of Social Services and worked as an attorney for Brigham and Women s Hospital. After an unsuccessful bid in 2002, Hassan was elected to the New Hampshire State Senate in 2004, where she served as majority leader and president pro tempore. As governor, Hassan signed the bill to legalize marijuana for qualified patients. In the 2016 campaign attacked her Senate opponent Kelly Ayotte (R) by linking her to Trump. Hassan ran on a platform of fighting the opioid crisis, investing in education and promoting green energy. She is married with two children, one of whom experiences severe disabilities, and currently she resides in Newfields, New Hampshire. Biography Position Elected: Senator, New Hampshire Elected: 2016 Education: BA, Brown University, 1980 JD, Northeastern University, 1985 Religion: United Church of Christ Contact: Scalon Way Newfields, NH info@maggiehassan.com Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Research, Stance on Issues Supports LGBT equality Supports President Obama s Clean Power Plan Opposes the absolute right to gun ownership Supports government funding for Planned Parenthood To be announced Maggie Hassan (D) Committees Election Results 2016 General Votes: 354,649 Percent: 48.0% Kelly Ayotte (R) Votes: 353,632 Percent: 47.9% January 6, 2017 Owen Minott 92

93 CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto Biography Catherine Cortez Masto was born in Las Vegas, Nevada of half Italian, half Mexican descent. Her father served as Clark County Commissioner and as an attorney for the county. Cortez Masto would follow in her father s footsteps, pursuing first an undergraduate degree in business administration before getting her law degree from Gonzaga University. She joined the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada in 1991 before moving to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in In addition to these positions, Cortez Masto served as the chief of staff to former Nevada Democratic Governor, Bob Miller, while also serving as an assistant to the United States attorney general. Both of those positions ended in 2002, at which point she began work as an assistant county manager for Clark County on issues relating to juvenile detention alternatives and child services. After receiving more votes than any other statewide candidate, Cortez Masto became Nevada s attorney general in Throughout her tenure as attorney general, Cortez Masto focused on issues related to combatting meth manufacturing and sale, neglect of the elderly, and strengthening laws against sex trafficking and violence against women. Cortez Masto could not run for a third term in 2014 due to lifetime term limits on the attorney general position. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2016, defeating Republican challenger Joe Heck. Biography Position Elected: Senator, Nevada Elected: 2016 Education: University of Nevada-Reno, B.S. 1986; Gonzaga University, J.D Religion: Not specified Contact: m/ v Stance on Issues Supports investing in the clean energy industry Supports ending tax inversions for corporations Opposes privatizing Social Security Supports a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants Supports equal pay for equal work legislation To be announced Catherine Cortez Masto (D) Committees Election Results 2016 General Votes: 521,994 Percent: 47.1% Joe Heck (R) Votes: 495,079 Percent: 44.7% Sources: Ballotpedia, 2016; National Journal Almanac January 6, 2017 Claire Carter, Madelaine Pisani 93

94 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 94

95 Welcome to Washington Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Page 96: Senate committee chairs: A list of the committee chairs in the 115th Senate Page 96: Senate committee ranking members: List of Senate committee ranking members in the 115th Congress Page 96: House committee chairs: Highlighted list of new and returning House committee chairs in the 115th Congress Page 96: House committee ranking members: Highlighted list of new and returning House committee ranking members in the 115th Congress January 2017 Presentation Center 95

96 SENATE CHAIRMEN GOP chairmen assume new roles in Senate committees Senate committee chairmen in the 115 th Congress Aging Susan Collins (R-ME) Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs Mike Crapo (R-ID) Replacing Richard Shelby (R-AL) Environment and Public Works John Barrasso (R-WY) Replacing Jim Inhofe (R-OK) HELP Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Judiciary Chuck Grassley (R-IA) Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Pat Roberts (R-KS) Budget Mike Enzi (R-WY) Ethics Johnny Isakson (R-GA) Homeland Security & Gov t Affairs Ron Johnson (R-WI) Rules and Administration Richard Shelby (R-AL) Replacing Roy Blunt (R-MO) Appropriations Thad Cochran (R-MS) Incumbent Commerce, Science, & Trans John Thune (R-SD) Finance Orrin Hatch (R-UT) Indian Affairs John Hoven (R-ND) Replacing John Barrasso (R-WY) Small Business & Entrepreneurship Jim Risch (R-ID) Replacing David Vitter (R-LA) Armed Services John McCain (R-AZ) Incumbent Energy and Natural Resources Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) Foreign Relations Bob Corker (R-TN) Intelligence Richard Burr (R-NC) Veterans Affairs Johnny Isakson (R-GA) January 11, 2017 Francis Torres 96

97 Overview of Senate committee ranking members SENATE COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP Senate committee ranking members in the 115 th Congress Aging Bob Casey (D-PA) Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Budget Bernie Sanders (I-VT) Environment and Public Works Tom carper (D-DE) Ethics Chris Coons (D-DE) HELP Patty Murray (D-WA) Homeland Security & Gov t Affairs Claire McCaskill (D-MO) Judiciary Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) Rules and Administration Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Appropriation s Patrick Leahy (D - VT) Armed Services Jack Reed (D-RI) Commerce, Science, & Trans Bill Nelson (D-FL) Energy and Natural Resources Maria Cantwell (D-WA) Finance Ron Wyden (D-OR) Foreign Relations Ben Cardin (D-MD) Indian Affairs Tom Udall (D-NM) Intelligence Mark Warner (D-VA) Small Business & Entrepreneursh ip Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) Veterans Affairs Jon Tester (D-MT) Sources: Charlie Cook Political Report, 2017; National Journal Research, January 11, 2017 Francis Torres 97

98 HOUSE CHAIRMEN Seven House committees have new committee chairmen House committee chairmen in the 115 th Congress Denotes change in leadership Agriculture Mike Conaway (R- TX) Education & Workforce Virginia Foxx (R-NC) Foreign Affairs Ed Royce (R-CA) Appropriations Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) Energy and Commerce Greg Walden (R-OR) Homeland Security Michael McCaul (R- TX) Armed Services Mac Thornberry (R- TX) Ethics Susan Brooks (R- IN) House Administration Gregg Harper (R-MS) Budget Tom Price (R- GA) Financial Services Jeb Hensarling (R- TX) Intelligence Devin Nunes (R-CA) Sources: Speaker Ryan s Office, Committee chair recommendations for the 115th Congress, December 1, 2016 January 11, 2017 Justin C. Brown 98

99 Seven House committees have new committee chairmen HOUSE CHAIRMEN House committee chairmen in the 115 th Congress Denotes change in leadership Joint Economic Pat Tiberi (R- OH) Rules Pete Sessions (R- TX) Judiciary Bob Goodlatte (R- VA) Science, Space, & Technology Lamar Smith (R- TX) Ways & Means Kevin Brady (R-TX) Natural Resources Rob Bishop (R-UT) Small Business Steve Chabot (R- OH) Veterans Affairs Phil Roe (R-TN) Oversight & Government Reform Jason Chaffetz (R- UT) Transportation & Infrastructure Bill Shuster (R- PA) Sources: Speaker Ryan s Office, Committee chair recommendations for the 115th Congress, December 1, 2016 January 11, 2017 Justin C. Brown 99

100 HOUSE RANKING MEMBERS Only three House committees have new ranking members House committee ranking members in the 115 th Congress Denotes change in leadership Agriculture Collin Peterson (D- MI) Education & Workforce Robert Bobby Scott (D- VA) Foreign Affairs Eliot Engel (D-NY) Appropriations Nita Lowey (D-NY) Energy and Commerce Frank Pallone Jr. (D- NJ) Homeland Security Bennie Thompson (D- MI Armed Services Adam Smith (D-WA) Ethics Linda Sanchez (D- CA) House Administration Robert Brady (D-PA) Budget John Yarmuth (D- KY) Financial Services Maxine Waters (D- CA) Intelligence Adam Schiff (D-CA) Sources: Office of the Clerk for the US House of Representatives, Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States, January 4, 2017 January 11, 2017 Justin C. Brown 100

101 HOUSE RANKNIG MEMBERS Only three House committees have new ranking members House committee ranking members in the 115 th Congress Denotes change in leadership Judiciary John Conyers Jr. (D- MI) Rules Louise Slaughter (D- NY) Transportation & Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D- OR) Natural Resources Raul Grijalva (D- AZ) Science, Space, & Technology Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) Ways & Means Richard Neal (D-MA) Oversight & Government Reform Elijah Cummings (D- MD) Small Business Nydia Velazquez (D- NY) Veterans Affairs Tim Walz (D-MN) Sources: Office of the Clerk for the US House of Representatives, Official Alphabetical List of the House of Representatives of the United States, January 4, 2017 January 11, 2017 Justin C. Brown 101

102 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 102

103 Welcome to Washington Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Page 104 Congressional delegations with prior experience in state government: Maps showing the proportion of each state delegation in the House and Senate with prior experience serving as a governor or state legislator Page 105 Members of Congress by prior experience in state government: Charts showing members of Congress in each chamber with prior experience as state legislators or governors Page 106 Congressional trends in state legislative experience: Graph showing changes in the share of federal lawmakers with prior state legislative experience, from 2003 to 2014 Page 107 Tenure on the Hill: A series of charts breaking down lawmakers in both chambers and parties by years of experience in office January 2017 Presentation Center 103

104 Many lawmakers begin careers in statehouses DELEGATIONS WITH STATE GOV EXPERIENCE 115 th Congress members with prior experience as state legislators or governors, by state None 1%-25% 26%- 50% 51%-75% 76%-100% WA OR NV CA AK ID UT AZ MT WY CO NM House ND MN SD WI IA NE IL KS MO OK AR MS LA TX IN MI TN AL KY OH GA WV SC PA VA NC VT NY ME NH N MA H R CT I NJ DE MD 0 Senators 1 Senator 2 Senators WA OR NV CA AK ID UT AZ MT WY CO NM Senate ND MN SD WI IA NE IL KS MO OK AR MS LA TX IN MI TN AL KY OH GA WV SC PA VA NC N Y VT ME NH MA N H RI CT NJ DE MD HI FL HI FL Analysis 50% of US Senators and 48% of US Representatives in the 115 th Congress served as state legislators and/or governors prior to election to federal office This trend isn t isolated to a few populous states either; the vast majority (48 of 50) of House delegations and a large proportion (37 of 50) of Senate delegations have members with prior experience as state legislators or governors Advocacy relationships built with state lawmakers can often carry over to the federal level when state officials are elected to higher office The states with the highest proportion of former state officials in Congress are also generally the states with the smallest Sources Sources: National delegations Journal overall Research, 2014; National Conference of State Legislatures, ; Linda Lingle and Jim Douglas, Former governors caucus looks looks to change to change tone tone in Senate, in Senate, Bipartisan Bipartisan Policy Policy Center, Center, January January 3, 2014; 3, 2014; Sanford, Sanford, Mark, Mark, (1960-), (1960-), Biographical Directory Directory of the of United the United States States Congress, Congress, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 104

105 CONGRESS BY PRIOR STATE GOV EXPERIENCE Half of current members of Congress have prior legislative gubernatorial experience Current House and Senate membership by prior legislative and gubernatorial experience Former state legislator/governor House Not a former state legislator/governor Senate Analysis Under half of the Senate and slightly over half of the House membership is comprised of individuals with prior experience serving as a state legislator and/or governor 11 senators are former governors, five of whom also served in state legislators One representative, Mark Sanford (R-SC), is a former governor but not a former state legislator Past experience in state government is a strong credential for those seeking to serve in Congress, as it shows direct policymaking experience Those with gubernatorial experience are particularly well-positioned for a Senate run, as they have already been elected to a statewired office Sources: National Journal Research, 2017; Former state legislators in Congress, National Conference of State Legislatures, November 10, 2014; Linda Lingle and Jim Douglas, Former governors caucus looks to change tone in Senate, Bipartisan Policy Center, January 3, 2014; Sanford, Mark, (1960-), Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 105

106 Number of lawmakers with past experience in state legislatures has remained relatively constant Share of lawmakers, by party and chamber, with prior experience in state legislatures, % Senate overall Senate Democrats Senate Republicans House overall House Democrats House Republicans SHORT TITLE GOES HERE 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th ( 09-11) ( 11-13) ( 13-15) ( 15-17) ( ) Analysis The percentage of representatives and senators with prior experience in state governments, with roughly 51% of representatives and 43% of senators having served in a state legislature previously, and these trends have held since the 1980s While direct prior experience in business, law, or other administrative state government is also valuable and present in Congress, experience in another legislative body is both an indicator of ambition and an advantage in campaigns for candidates for federal office; developing relationships with legislators at the state level is useful in getting early Sources: National connections Conference of State the Legislatures, federal level ; Michael B. Berkman, State legislatures in Congress: strategic politicians, professional legislatures, and the party nexus, American Journal of Political Science, November 1994; Cherie Mastas, L. Sandy Maisel, and Walter J. Stone, When to risk it? State legislatures and the decision to run for the US House, American Political Science Association, January 5, 2017 Yanni Chen 106

107 Around half of House and Senate have members have served in Congress for 5 years or less Senate and House members by tenure MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BY TENURE 18+ years years 6 to 11 years 0 to 5 years 18% 43% 12% 26% Senate members by tenure House members by tenure Sources: National Journal Research, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 107

108 Most Senate Republicans have been in the Senate for less than five years Senate and House Republicans by tenure MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BY TENURE 18+ years years 6 to 11 years 0 to 5 years 21% 56% 9% 7% Senate Republicans by tenure House Republicans by tenure Sources: National Journal Research, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 108

109 Around half of House Democrats have served in the House for less than five years Senate and House Democrats by tenure MEMBERS OF CONGRESS BY TENURE 18+ years years 6 to 11 years 0 to 5 years Senate Democrats by tenure House Democrats by tenure Sources: National Journal Research, January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 109

110 ADMINISTRATION TOOLBOX Welcome to Washington Roadmap: Legislative processes primers Congressional indicators and insights Executive branch overviews Rules, regulations and confirmation processes Lobbying tools and statistics Congressional composition Congressional committee chairs and ranking members Prior experience/background of Members of Congress Details on Congressional staff and meeting tips January 2017 Presentation Center 110

111 Welcome to Washington Details on Congressional staff and tips for meeting with them Page 112 Preparing for meetings with members of Congress: Tips to keep in mind when preparing for face-to-face meetings with members of Congress Page 113 Understanding Hill Staff: Describe the different roles of Hill staffers and explain personal office and committee staffing structures Page 119 Hill staffer profiles: Drawing from the House compensation study, these slides profile the average Hill staffer's responsibilities, age, experience, and more across a variety of staff positions Page 149 Understanding your member of Congress: Slides and graphics explaining lawmakers' busy schedules, contextualizing their prioritization of constituent meetings, and illustrating their reliance on Hill staff to do their jobs Page 153 Policy professionals per member of Congress: Registered lobbyists aren't the only ones competing for lawmakers' time and attention. Find out how many policy professionals there are per member of Congress with this graphic January 2017 Presentation Center 111

112 Preparing for face-to-face meetings with members of Congress MEETING WITH CONGRESS PERSONS What to remember when conducting a meeting with a member of Congress Be on time Arrive no more than 5 minutes before the meeting; Members are rarely available to meet earlier and Hill offices are too small to accommodate lingering constituents Inform the Scheduler if you are going to be late in case another meeting time must be arranged Be flexible Prepare to meet with either the Member or the Member s staff; treat both with equal respect If the Member arrives in the middle of your meeting, continue as usual; and the Member will ask questions if needed Quick takes Advocates can leverage face-to-face meetings with Members of Congress and their staff to communicate their positions and build enduring relationships with their representatives However, meetings are brief and Members are busy; advocates should keep the tips below in mind to get the most of their meetings Keep politics out of it Do not discuss elections or campaign support in your meeting; it intimates that the Member is for sale Respect the Member s political views and relationships outside of the issue at hand Stay on topic Raise only the issue you scheduled to discuss with the Member and the Member s staff to keep the meeting focused and persuasive XYZ ISSUE REPORT Leave behind brief information Leave behind a 1-2 page briefing with data points on the issue discussed with the Member s office; the document should serve as a helpful resource for staff as the issue moves through Congress Source: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, Face-to-Face with Congress: Before, During, and After Meetings with Legislators, 2014 January 9, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 112

113 Staffers significantly outnumber members of Congress UNDERSTANDING HILL STAFF Members and staff of Congress Members Congressional Committee staff Personal office staff Analysis The 535 members of Congress are supported by a larger infrastructure of over 13,000 staffers While most staffers are far less powerful than any member, senior members' most trusted and effective aides may be extremely influential in their own right, and act as a conduit to their member Source: Norm Ornstein and Thomas Mann, Vital statistics on Congress, AEI/Brookings, Chapter 5. January 12, 2016 Claire Carter 113

114 UNDERSTANDING HILL STAFF Hill staff come in two forms, personal and committee staff Overview of personal and committee congressional staff Line of Reporting Job Overview Personal Office Staff Hired by one member of Congress and only responsible to that member Work on combination of policy and constituentservice matters, depending on needs of district Committee Staff Hired by chairman or ranking member of committee; nominally work for all Democratic or Republican committee members Work exclusively on policy, within area of committee Issues Practice over range of issues Specialize in committee-related issue Background More likely to be from district or state of hiring member; tend to have trust of Member Less likely to be from district or state of chairman or ranking member; tend to be expert in issue area Number The average Representative has 14 staffers working for them, average Senator has 30 House committees averaged 68 staff and Senate committees average 46 Sample Titles Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, Legislative Assistant Staff Director, Policy Analyst, Committee Counsel Source: Ida Burdnick, Congressional salaries and allowances, Congressional Research Service, January 4, 2012; Congressional Management Foundation. January 12, 2016 Claire Carter 114

115 Despite various titles, most staffers have similar jobs UNDERSTANDING HILL STAFF Sample job titles for committee and personal office staffers More Senior Staff More Junior Staff Title for Personal Office Staffers Function Title for Committee Staffers Chief of Staff, Administrative Assistant Legislative Director, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief Policy Advisor Counsel, Legislative Counsel Legislative Assistant Communications Director, Press Secretary Office Manager, Systems Administrator No equivalent Legislative Correspondent Staff Assistant Serve as chief advisor and administrator for member or committee Act as chief policy advisor, especially in area of committee jurisdiction Provide legal advice to member or committee Offer guidance on specific policy issue Speak to media on behalf of member or committee Oversee management of office and facilities Conduct oversight of government programs within jurisdiction of committee Respond to constituent contacts on behalf of member Answer phones, greet visitors, perform administrative tasks Staff Director Deputy Staff Director, Chief Policy Advisor, Senior Policy Advisor Counsel, Chief Counsel, General Counsel Legislative Assistant, Policy Advisor, Professional Staff Member Communications Director, Press Secretary Office Manager, Systems Administrator Investigator, Chief Investigator No equivalent Staff Assistant Analysis While the structure of a committee is different than that of a personal office, most Congressional staffers exist in a relatively similar hierarchy, whether they work for a committee or a single member Source: R. Eric Petersen, Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions Congressional Research Service, November 4, 2010; Congressional Management Foundation. January 12, 2016 Claire Carter 115

116 UNDERSTANDING HILL STAFF Committee staff can report to multiple bosses Sample de-facto organization of a congressional committee Member of Congress Chief of Staff Policy Staff Communications Staff Office Staff District Staff Legislative Director/Counse l Communication s Director Personal Assistant/ Scheduler District Director Legislative Aide Legislative Correspondent Staff Assistant District Caseworkers Analysis Members of Congress are advised to structure their office into discrete areas, depending on their staffers functions Nonetheless, almost every office will have a unique structure and series of staff duties The vast Congressional workload means that the day-to-day reporting structure of a Congressional staffer may look very different in practice than on paper Source: Hit the Ground Running: 112th Congress Edition, Office of Rep. Eric Cantor. January 12, 2016 Claire Carter 116

117 UNDERSTANDING HILL STAFF Committee staff can report to multiple bosses Sample de-facto organization of a congressional committee Committee Member Subcommittee Chair Committee Members Committee Chair Committee Member Investigations Subcommittee Chair Committee Staff Staff Director Press Secretary Subcommittee Staff Director Deputy Staff Director Chief Counsel Chief Investigator Policy Advisors Issue Experts Policy Analysts Investigative Staff Analysis Although Congressional committee staff are officially hired by the committee chair or ranking member, some committees (especially Appropriations) will allow subcommittee chairs or even ordinary members to designate staff as their own Source: Hit the Ground Running: 112th Congress Edition, Office of Rep. Eric Cantor. January 12, 2016 Claire Carter 117

118 UNDERSTANDING HILL STAFF Expect to meet with staffers during Hill visits Member of Congress Visitors may not realize how highly overscheduled Members are; they average 70-hour weeks when in D.C., often achieved by double-booking meetings It is not uncommon for Members to show up halfway through a meeting or leave part of the way through Chief of Staff Visitors may not expect how often chiefs are in communication with a Member; the tight bond means that chiefs are often delegated to speak for Member to constituents Legislative Director Visitors may not expect that LDs tend to be specialists in the policies of the committees on which Member serves; they may focus less on other areas Meetings are most often scheduled with and run through one or more of these staffers Legislative Assistant Visitors may not expect that LAs are very young; their average age is under 29 Legislative Correspondent/Staff Assistant Visitors may not expect that LCs and SAs tend to be even younger than LAs, often recent college grads LCs and SAs may join in meetings as a junior staffer or note-taker Analysis Because members of Congress are often running from meeting to meeting to vote, staffers will often have more time to devote to a meeting, and be more capable of affecting any takeaway Source: 2010 House Compensation Study, Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives; Communicating With Congress, Congressional Management Foundation, January 12, 2016 Claire Carter 118

119 Most Congressional chiefs of staff are over the age of 30 HILL STAFFER PROFILES Hill staffer profile: chief of staff Average age Highest educational attainment 49% 42% PhD (1%) J.D. 18% Other 5% Bachelor s Degree 24% 24% 24% 20% 50% 5% 6% 4% 3% Average years in current position Master s Degree 26% Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 41% 33% 29% 59% 67% 71% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 119

120 The chief of staff is primarily the Congress member s chief policy advisor Hill staffer profile: chief of staff HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $136,588 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform legislative director duties Been in position for 6.7 years Has a Bachelor s degree May have previous experience in the House, federal government, campaign, etc. Basic responsibilities Acts as member s chief policy advisor Develops and implements all policy objectives, strategies, and operating plans for the member's office Manages and directs all activities and staff of the member's D.C. offices Coordinates the member s activities with leadership and committee offices Oversees office budget Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 120

121 HILL STAFFER PROFILES Legislative directors tend to stay in the D.C. office and do not commute back to member s home state Hill staffer profile: legislative director Average age Highest educational attainment 59% 59% PhD (2%) Other (2%) J.D. 17% 27% 21% 9% 10% 10% 5% 0% 0% Master s Degree 28% 51% Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 81% 84% 78% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. 19% 16% 23% January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 121

122 Legislative directors both manage legislative staff and advise the member on all legislative areas Hill staffer profile: legislative director HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $89,674 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform senior legislative aide duties In position for 4.5 years Has a Bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House, federal government, campaign etc. Basic responsibilities Advises member on all legislative areas Assists in development of policy positions and legislative initiatives Managers and supervises member's legislative staff Monitors and reports on floor action to member and chief of staff Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 122

123 HILL STAFFER PROFILES Legislative directors tend to stay in the D.C. office and do not commute back to member s home state Hill staffer profile: legislative director Average age Highest educational attainment 59% 59% PhD (2%) Other (2%) J.D. 17% 27% 21% 9% 10% 10% 5% 0% 0% Master s Degree 28% 51% Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 81% 84% 78% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. 19% 16% 23% January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 123

124 Legislative directors both manage legislative staff and advise the member on all legislative areas Hill staffer profile: legislative director HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $89,674 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform senior legislative aide duties In position for 4.5 years Has a Bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House, federal government, campaign etc. Basic responsibilities Advises member on all legislative areas Assists in development of policy positions and legislative initiatives Managers and supervises member's legislative staff Monitors and reports on floor action to member and chief of staff Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 124

125 Legislative aides tend to stay in their position longer in 2010 than in 2006 Hill staffer profile: legislative aide HILL STAFFER PROFILES Average age Highest educational attainment 43% 43% 42% 45% PhD (4%) Other (2%) J.D. 18% 10% 7% 5% 6% 0% 0% Master s Degree 17% 59% Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 74% 79% 86% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. 26% 21% 14% January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 125

126 Legislative aides earn an average of $63,508 annually HILL STAFFER PROFILES Hill staffer profile: legislative aide Position summary Earns an average of $63,508 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform legislative aide duties Been in position for 3.8 years Has a Bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House and federal government Basic responsibilities Develops and plans legislative initiatives Monitors legislative developments within committees and on the House floor Writes floor speeches for the member Meets with constituents and special interest group on behalf of the member Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 126

127 Most legislative correspondents do not have a degree higher than a Bachelor s Degree Hill staffer profile: legislative correspondent HILL STAFFER PROFILES 91% 93% Average age Highest educational attainment J.D. (3%) Master s Degree Other (2%) 8% 7% 4% 1% 0% 1% 1% 0% 1% % Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 96% 94% 94% Source: 2010 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 112th Congress. 4% 6% 6% January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 127

128 The legislative correspondent supervises D.C. office staff and manages accounts Hill staffer profile: legislative correspondent HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $62,165 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform Scheduler, Financial Administrator, and Systems Administrator duties Been in position for 7.1 years Has a Bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House and state/local government Basic responsibilities Supervises D.C. office staff Maintains office accounts and payroll accounts Acts as liaison for Member with staff, public, committee staff, and other Members Maintains Member's files Procures and maintains equipment for D.C. office Ensures that Member is provided with briefing materials for each event Source: 2010 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 128

129 Under 20% of executive assistants commuted between district and D.C. offices in 2010 Hill staffer profile: office manager/executive assistant HILL STAFFER PROFILES Average age Highest educational attainment 38% 36% % 23% 23% 21% 11% 15% 7% 6% PhD (1%) J.D. (1%) Master s Degree 11% Other 16% 71% Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position 7.1 Percentage commuting between district and D.C. Office Commuting Not Commuting % 94% 83% % 6% 18% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 129

130 Office managers act as a liaison between their member and the public, staff and other members of Congress Hill staffer profile: office manager/executive assistant HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $62,165 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform scheduler, financial administrator, and systems administrator duties Been in position for 7.1 years Has a bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the house and state/local government Basic responsibilities Supervises D.C. office staff Maintains office accounts and payroll accounts Acts as liaison for member with staff, public, committee staff, and other members Maintains member's files Procures and maintains equipment for D.C. office Ensures that member is provided with briefing materials for each event Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 130

131 Press secretaries tend to commute between district and D.C. offices more than other Hill staffers Hill staffer profile: press secretary/communications director HILL STAFFER PROFILES Average age 38% % 23% 23% 23% 21% 15% 11% 7% 6% Average years in current position Highest educational attainment PhD Other (0.6%) (3%) J.D. (2% ) Master s Degree 15% 80% Bachelor s Degree Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 69% 72% 63% 31% 28% 37% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 131

132 Press secretaries act as a Congress member s formal spokesperson and media liaison Hill staffer profile: press secretary/communications director HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $64,003 annually Works in D.C. office Been in position for 3.7 years Has a Bachelor s degree May have previous experience in the House, state/local government, or private organizations Basic responsibilities Manages and coordinates all communication activities for the member and office Develops and implements member s media and communication strategy Acts as member s formal spokesperson and media liaison Writes speeches for member Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 132

133 HILL STAFFER PROFILES Schedulers tend to be between the age of 20 and 29 years old Hill staffer profile: scheduler 62% 49% Average age J.D. (0.3% ) Master s Degree Highest educational Attainment Bachelor s Other Degree 5% 14% 24% 21% 14% 11% 6% 6% 3% 5% 81% Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 98% 95% 90% 2% 5% 10% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 133

134 Schedulers maintain their member s official schedule, travel plans and related records Hill staffer profile: schedule HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $51,869 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform office manager/executive assistant and financial administrator duties Been in position for 5.5 years Has a bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the house and private organizations Basic responsibilities Maintains member s official schedule, travel plans and related records Briefs member on all scheduling activities of D.C. office and makes recommendations on proposed future meetings Schedules all staff meetings and briefings Coordinates scheduling of press, interview, radio and television time with the press secretary Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 134

135 HILL STAFFER PROFILES The majority of D.C. staff assistants are under the age of 30 Hill staffer profile: staff assistant (D.C.) 93% 95% Average age Highest educational attainment J.D. Other Master s (1%) (4%) Degree 8% 4% 2% 1% 3% 0% 0% 1% 1% 87% Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 98% 96% 96% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. 2.3% 4.1% 4.3% January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 135

136 Staff assistant is one of the only positions on the Hill where candidates may have no previous experience Hill staffer profile: staff assistant (D.C.) HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $31,593 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform Legislative Correspondent duties Has been in position for 1.8 years Has a Bachelor s degree May have no previous experience Basic responsibilities Greets and screens visitors Responds to constituent requests for information Performs general administrative duties Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 136

137 HILL STAFFER PROFILES District staff assistants rarely commute to D.C. Hill staffer profile: staff assistant (district) 56% 51% Average age Highest educational attainment Other 14% 15% 15% 11% 12% 8% J.D. (1%) Master s Degree (2%) Bachelor s Degree Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 97% 99% 99% 3% 1% 1% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 137

138 District staff assistants tend to hold the position for about four years Hill staffer profile: staff assistant (district) HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $31,013 annually Works in district office May also perform constituent services representative or caseworker duties Has been in position for 4.1 years Has a Bachelor s degree May have previous experience in private organizations Basic responsibilities Responds to constituent requests for information Maintains handout literature regarding district and House Performs general administrative duties Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 138

139 Caseworkers usually hold their position for under three years Hill staffer profile: constituent services representative/caseworker Average age Highest educational attainment HILL STAFFER PROFILES 27% 20% 20% 22% % 18% 24% 21% 18% PhD (1%) Other 23% 11% J.D. 3% Master s Degree 9% 64% Bachelor s Degree 2.1 Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 100% 99% 96% 0% 1% 4% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 139

140 Caseworkers represent the district s needs and are meant to have an ear to the ground when their member is in D.C. Hill staffer profile: constituent services representative/caseworker HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $47,543 annually Works in district office May also perform Field Representative duties Has a Bachelor s degree May have previous experience in the House, state/local government, and private organizations Basic responsibilities Acts as member s community representative within his or her area of responsibility Monitors and updates member and district director on district and local issues Handles casework correspondence Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 140

141 HILL STAFFER PROFILES District directors are usually over the age of 30 Hill staffer profile: district director Average age % 30% 28% 23% 22% 19% 16% 15% 9% 6% Average years in current position 8.1 Highest educational attainment PhD (2%) J.D. Master s Degree 11% 15% Other (8%) 64% Bachelor s Degree Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 84% 87% 85% % 14% 15% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 141

142 HILL STAFFER PROFILES The average annual salary for a district director is $92,650 Hill staffer profile: district director Position summary Earns an average of $92,650 annually Works in district office May also perform field representative duties Been in position for 8.1 years Has a bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House, Federal, campaign, community organizations, and private organizations Basic responsibilities Oversees all district office operations Represents Member, or assigns appropriate staff to represent Member, in district Travels through district at regular intervals to keep abreast of local concerns Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 142

143 HILL STAFFER PROFILES Field representatives rarely commute between the district and D.C. office Hill staffer profile: field representative 33% 32% 23% Average age % 18% 17% 15% 15% 15% 12% Highest educational attainment J.D. (2%) Master s Degree PhD (1%) 9% Other (10%) % Bachelor s Degree 4 Average years in current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office Commuting Not Commuting 95% 96% 96% % 4% 4% Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 143

144 The majority of field representatives hold a Bachelor s degree Hill staffer profile: field representative HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $47,184 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform constituent services duties Has been in position for 6 years Has a Bachelor s degree May have previous experience in the House, local government, military, and private organizations Basic responsibilities Acts as liaison with federal, district, and local agencies for member and constituents Assesses casework for problems requiring legislative action and makes recommendations to the district director and chief of staff Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 144

145 Financial administrators usually hold the position for about eight years HILL STAFFER PROFILES Hill staffer profile: financial administrator Average age 2010 Highest educational attainment Bachelor s Degree 31% 39% 43% 15% 15% Other 57% 0% Average years in current position In 2010, financial administrators spent, on average, 8.1 years in their current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office In 2010, no financial administrators commuted between the district and the D.C. Office Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 145

146 Financial administrator s earn an average of $29,375 annually Hill staffer profile: financial administrator HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $29,375 annually Works in D.C. office May also perform office manager/executive assistant, scheduler, and systems administrator duties Been in position for 8.1 years Has a bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House, and state/local government Basic responsibilities Responsible for all office finances May process vouchers for payment or reimbursement of official expenses and payroll processing Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 146

147 HILL STAFFER PROFILES The systems administrator is the Hill staffer most likely to hold a PhD Hill staffer profile: systems administrator Average age Highest educational attainment 23% 39% % PhD 15% Other 8% Bachelor s Degree 15% 0% Master s Degree 8% 69% Average years in current position In 2010, systems administrator spent, on average, 6.6 years in their current position Percentage commuting between district and D.C. office In 2010, 7% of systems administrators commuted between the district and D.C. office Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 147

148 Systems administrators maintain network hardware and software Hill staffer profile: systems administrator HILL STAFFER PROFILES Position summary Earns an average of $33,675 annually Works in D.C. office Been in position for 6.6 years Has a Bachelor's degree May have previous experience in the House, campaign, community organizations, and private organizations Basic responsibilities Maintains network hardware and software Monitors network May perform maintenance Implements network security measures Source: 2010 House compensation study: guide for the 112th Congress. January 12, 2017 Madelaine Pisani 148

149 UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS Most members of Congress feel misunderstood by their constituents Members response to the statement: Most of my constituents understand the day-to-day activities I engage in Disagree Neutral Agree Analysis Many Americans possess a limited, and somewhat distorted, view of what it s like to be a member of Congress; most portrayals of members by the entertainment industry reinforce the stereotype that they are lazy, self-interested and corrupt Members themselves add to the criticism by decrying their colleagues and Congress, claiming that nothing is getting done Reality is somewhat different: for most members, the job of being a lawmaker is not luxurious or carefree; it s rather chaotic, more like being the CEO of a small start-up company or an emergency room physician Sources: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, Life in Congress: The Member Perspective, 2013 January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 149

150 UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS Constituent service work is important to members but members may lack resources to meet demands Importance to members job satisfaction of staying in touch with constituents and response to I have the resources to accomplish my goals in Congress Very important Somewhat important Disagree Neutral Agree However Analysis Members prioritize serving and staying in touch with constituents; constituent conversations guide policymaking, and every member realizes that reelection hinges on their ability to serve the constituents who vote them into office Nonetheless, members face constraints in their ability to meet constituent demands, and advocates should be sensitive to members limited time and resources when making specific asks of their member of Congress Sources: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, Life in Congress: The Member Perspective, 2013 January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 150

151 A member s schedule leaves little time for focusing on Constituents and often has events that overlap Sample House member schedule UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS 9:30 AM 9:30 AM Speak to attendees of National Women, Infants, and Children s Association (WIC) Leadership Conference 10:00 AM 12:00 PM Attend appropriations hearing for FDA regulatory programs 10:30 AM 12:00 PM Attend bipartisan classified briefing on Iran 12:00 PM 1:00 PM Attend caucus meeting on jobs and the economy 12:45 PM 1:15 PM Meet with WIC program manager to discuss issues and funding 1:15 PM 1:45 PM Meet with representatives from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee to discuss U.S.-Israel aid 1:30 PM 2:00 PM Meet with local county supervisor to discuss national parks bill 2:00 PM 2:30 PM Meet with nonprofit representative to discuss food stamp initiative in state 2:30 PM 3:00 PM Meet with local U.S. Army officers to discuss land transfer issues 3:00 PM 4:00 PM Listen in on fundraising call at party HQ 3:00 PM 3:30 PM (FYI: regional Army Corp of Engineers discussing current projects) 3:30 PM 4:00 PM Meet with organic farming research foundation to discuss farming programs 4:30 PM 5:00 PM Meet with local supervisor to discuss health issues 5:00 PM 6:00 PM Meet with local county representatives to discuss flood control efforts 6:30 PM 9:30 PM (FYI: American Council for Capital Formation Dinner Discussion) *From one day in a House member s Washington, D.C., office in March Only identifying details have been altered. Sources: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, Life in Congress: The Member Perspective, 2013 January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 151

152 Members rely on their staff to help them serve their constituents Members trust in their staff UNDERSTANDING YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS Agree Neutral My staff clearly understands and is motivated by what I m trying to accomplish My staff is good at keeping focused on my goals and priorities My staff provides sufficient support to help me effectively do my job Analysis To help them keep up with their many professional obligations, members depend on staff, who support them with their day-to-day work and keep them focused on legislative goals Members trust their staff to help them carry out their responsibilities in office, including listening to constituents; for this reason, advocates should not be surprised if they meet with staff in lieu of a member Sources: Congressional Management Foundation and the Society for Human Resource Management, Life in Congress: The Member Perspective, 2013 January 5, 2017 Hunter Hamrick 152

153 POLICY PROFESSIONALS PER MEMBER OF CONGRESS There are a large number of policy professionals per influential member of Congress Policy professionals* per most influential members of Congress, : 46 Members of Congress to Policy Professionals 1 : 548 Committee Chairs** to Policy Professionals 1 : 2,742 Members of Majority Leadership*** to Policy Professionals * Policy Professionals includes registered lobbyists, strategic policy consultants, and historical advisors. **45 committee chairs ***9 members of majority leadership Analysis Due to recent restrictions on lobbying, many policy professionals are not registering as lobbyists, but are still seeking to influence votes A Sunlight Foundation study of government affairs registries found that for every registered lobbyist engaging in lobbying activity, there was one unregistered individual also engaging in lobbying activity Sources: OpenSecrets.org If true, the market Lobbying of advocacy Database, professionals 2013; Tom LaPira, is How likely much twice lobbying as saturated is there in as Washington? publicly available It s DOUBLE data what would you think, suggest Sunlight Foundation, Nov. 25, December 30, 2016 Yanni Chen 153