After lunch on Friday, I trekked over to Congressman Blumenauer’s office to meet his staff and see the inner workings of a
congressional office. I arrived a few minutes early, which gave me some time to
quietly observe the office. I studied the maps on the wall and tried to soak in
the general atmosphere of the office. I was impressed with the awards and
certificates of thanks that were given to Congressman Blumenauer from bicycle
advocacy groups. My parents own a bicycle shop in Augusta, Georgia, and contribute
a great deal of their time and resources to local, state, and national bicycle
advocacy, whether it be helping with the construction of a new trail system or
lobbying for specific funding grants. It is a great feeling to know that
someone on the Hill is also very involved in a cause that is important to me.
When Stephanie arrived, she introduced me to everyone in the
office. We all chatted about recent bills and policy initiatives, and we laughed
at legislation jokes I wouldn’t have understood a few weeks ago. Everyone
seemed to genuinely enjoy his or her job. No one seemed uptight or strict about
anything. Janine, his Chief of Staff, even joked that I should go sit at his
desk. (I did!)
It was great to see a congressional office in an informal
way. It made me more comfortable and confident in approaching staffers on the
Hill. I am very grateful for the experience and hope to stay in touch with my
new friends on the Hill in the future.
3 comments:
Sounds like you are having a lot of fun. Did you sign anything while you were at his desk? LOL
Erin, it is great to know that you are still advocating for bicycle issues. Your visit to the congressman's office was interesting to read about. We need help at every level of society to keep these issues in the public eye. Thanks for what you are doing.
Paulwyn Boliek
Nice post! Your job seems like constant fun!
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