Lobby Day Training

Last Tuesday, I attended a Lobby Day event with Kaytee and Stephanie. A national group came together to lobby Congress for a few days and hired Advocacy Associates and the Advocacy Guru to help their day run smoothly from start to finish. For most of the day, I sat with Kaytee at the front desk and helped hand out schedules and information packets. Everyone was excited to have arrived in DC and made it to the festivities. The room buzzed with energy as everyone in the group discussed the issues they wanted to bring up in their Congressional meetings. I thought back to my own Lobby Day experience last March at the Bike Summit and the fond memories I made there. 

The group that came together last Tuesday, like the “bike people” (who I affectionately refer to as “my people”), really believe in their cause. It is their livelihood and their passion. They are willing to use their time, energy, and money to make the trip to DC and visit their representatives. They know their industry in and out, and they travel to DC to share their knowledge and expertise with those who make legislative decisions that impact their industry. 

Their industry is not one that I had ever given much thought to, which made me realize just how important forming advocacy groups is. Something that may seem trivial to some can mean so much to others. I’m sure there are people out there who don’t care about bicycle lanes and recreation trails (though I imagine they are hanging out with the people who hate puppies and those who enjoy drinking orange juice after brushing their teeth). By getting out and being active in bicycle-related issues, I can help raise awareness, just like the group on Tuesday introduced me to a whole new industry.  

There are few things that inspire me more than seeing individuals from across America come together to advocate for a shared cause. Throughout my time in DC, I've been reminded again and again of the importance of taking part in government. In a world filled with injustice, having the right to vote and take part in government action should never be trivialized or wasted. 

Whatever the cause, go forth and advocate!

Congressional Office Visit

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.

House to Begin Work on the Farm Bill Next Week

Last week, the House Agriculture Committee passed its most recent activities report for the third quarter of 2012. Additionally, the Agriculture appropriations bill was scheduled to get floor time but the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development appropriations bill and the Highway reauthorization bill took up most of the floor time last week. This is a missed opportunity as the debates during the Agriculture appropriations bill would have given us a glimpse of potential issues to be raised during the Farm bill reauthorization.

Although Congress is in recess this week, the House Agriculture committee will release the draft version of the Farm bill by the end of the week, most likely Thursday. In the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling, House leadership has scheduled a symbolic repeal vote of the Affordable Care Act on the same day as the Farm bill markup. House Agriculture Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) has made it clear that he will be moving forward with the July 11 Farm bill markup.

The House Farm bill will contain some similarities to the Senate version and will look to spend around $900 billion. There will be significant differences that Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Ranking member Pat Roberts (R-KS) anticipate will be worked out during conference. Differences include:

1.      SNAP- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will be an issue in conference as the House will make significantly larger cuts from this program than the Senate bill has made.

2.      Southern Commodity- A National Journal article does a great job describing the conflict between regional farmers in the Farm bill. To paraphrase, Southern peanut and rice growers complain that they are being treated unfairly in the Senate Farm Bill in regards to commodity pricing and crop insurance. The House will likely add a provision that will help to address crop insurance and commodity prices for these farmers by allowing the government to set price floors. This is very different from the Senate Bill as it bases prices on the market.

3.      Fiscal Restraint- Deficit hawks in the House will be looking to make major cuts in the House bill. Things like conservation, nutritional programs, and rural development initiatives may all be in danger of funding cuts in the House Farm bill.

Even with these differences, both Chairwoman Stabenow and Chairman Lucas are committed to passing the Farm Bill this year. Most sources I have spoken to agree that the Farm bill will take up most of the summer.

***Follow Nick on Twitter for updates

Congressional Expectations vs. Reality

After a congenial first Congressional hearing, I had high expectations for the Full Committee Markup on the Interior and Environment Bill. I walked to Rayburn Wednesday morning with a bright smile and optimistic attitude toward the bill and our legislators.

Unlike the previous markup I attended, the full committee didn’t spend any time on pleasantries and instead started introducing amendments right away. I noticed after the first two votes that the room was separated – Republicans all sat together on one side of the room while Democrats sat together on the other. I couldn’t help but compare it to the cafeteria at my high school.

I wondered why there was such a difference in the atmosphere of the subcommittee and the full committee. Subcommittees meet more regularly and with fewer members than full committees, which fosters closer relationships among those members. They are allowed more time to voice their personal opinions and listen to others. At first, I was very frustrated at the way the full committee worked. However, now that I’ve gained some distance, I see that full committees have a very limited amount of time to work through a vast amount of legislation. Arguments must be brief and voting must take place quickly, otherwise we could still be working through bills passed two years ago.

It is important to realize the limitations our leaders are under, especially in these last few weeks of summer. Making decisions for myself is hard enough – I can’t imagine deciding on appropriations and laws for the federal government! I learned Wednesday that I need to have more realistic expectations for our leaders, as they are doing the best they can with the resources they have.

***Written by Erin Cohen

Can You Name the Supreme Court Justices?

Maybe you can. Maybe you can't (I'm not sure I can), but either way these nine people are about to dramatically impact the future of health care in this country.  That's because the decision regarding the constitutionality of the recently passed health care bill will be handed down on Thursday, and no one, not even the President or House and Senate leaders, have any idea what will happen.  I don't either, so don't ask. In fact, I'm not a lawyer so I can't even make an educated guess.

The question at issue is whether a mandate to purchase health insurance is constitutional.  As the oft-forgotten third branch of government, the Supreme Court gets to decide these things.  Their role is to interpret, as best and as independently as they can, whether a specific contested provision of law is in keeping with Constitutional principles.  The most important word in that last sentence is "independently." The founding fathers went to great lengths to protect the judiciary from undue influence from other branches of government.

At the same time, the founding fathers worked to balance independence with the need to connect the Judiciary to our democratic process.  This means there's clearly a political component to the decision as well, which boils down to this: those leading the health care reform effort traded the prohibition on not covering pre-existing conditions with the mandate to purchase insurance.  In other words, those concerned about a requirement to provide coverage for some of the least healthy members of the population were given the benefit of having more people buy insurance.  If the mandate is struck down, the wildly popular "pre-existing condition" clause goes down as well.

Either way, members of Congress and the Administration will need to deal with the aftermath of the decision.  If it's deemed unconstitutional there will either be efforts to solve the problem legislatively or it will be used as an enormous campaign issue (or both).  If it's deemed constitutional, you better believe there will be additional efforts in the legislature to pass a repeal.  Washington, D.C. will be hot this summer, both politically and temperature-wise. Stay tuned.

Diary of an Intern: First Congressional Markup!

I learned of my internship at Advocacy Associates back in March and did what any college girl my age would do – I made a Pinterest board of work outfits, apartment decorations, and pretty pictures of the Capitol. I allowed myself to be swept up in romantic notions of spending the summer in the city. So when I stepped off my train at Union Station, suitcases and Metro card in hand, I had a bit of a culture shock and realized I had my work cut out for me. Coming from a small town in Georgia, DC has been a place of many firsts for me, including my first trip to a Congressional markup as part of the Advocacy Associates team.

Last Wednesday, Tess and I rode the Metro to the Capitol South station to cover the markup of the FY13 Interior and Environment Bill. As a newbie to the Metro system, I was glad to learn that the station was only a block from the House office buildings. In the 100 degree heat, not walking too far was great! The hallways in the office buildings were confusing – it seemed like the room numbers didn’t make much sense. I could probably work on the Hill for years and still not know my way around. I’m not sure how Congressional interns do it!

After we found the room, we waited in a line outside for about an hour and a half. Though we arrived very early, Tess and I were some of the last to make it into the room and had to stand in the back. I will definitely remember that for next time!

After years of hearing about the “battles” on Capitol Hill between Republicans and Democrats, I was expecting nothing short of a smack-down in the subcommittee room. I’m sure the look on my face was nothing short of confused when all members were genuinely friendly towards each other. During the meeting, everyone turned their comments to Rep. Dicks, who is retiring after 36 years in Congress. Each member expressed their appreciation and respect for him and the work he has done throughout his career. When it came time for Rep. Dicks to speak, he actually became very emotional and had a hard time getting through his prepared statements. 

When specifics about the bill came up, each member expressed his or her opinions politely but defended their positions emphatically. The meeting was relatively brief but I find myself still analyzing certain aspects. I appreciated being able to see the more human side of our government. I’d always imagined Congress to be more of a machine than a group of individuals. Witnessing negotiations and debate changed the way I view our leaders, and I have even more respect for them now. 


Tomorrow I am headed back to the Hill to cover the full committee markup. Now that I know a bit more about what to expect, I am confident that I will be able to dig deeper into specifics of the bill and the political ramifications of the decisions made by the committee. In time, I hope to be just as savvy on the Hill as my colleagues (and able to find my way around, too!). 


***Written by Erin Cohen

Senate Farm Bill Amendments- Day 3

Today, the Senate passed the S.3240, Agriculture Reform and Food and Jobs Act of 2012, or the Farm Bill, by a vote of 64-35. The House is poised to take up its version of the bill on July 11. Next week it is expected that the debate on the agriculture appropriations bill will be a barometer for future debate on the Farm Bill. Below you will find the results on the final amendments that were voted on today.


- Toomey #2247 (paperwork); (60 votes needed)

Did not pass by a vote of 58-41

- Sanders #2310 (genetically engineered food); (60 votes needed)
            Did not pass by a vote of 26-73
- Coburn #2214 (convention funding); (60 votes needed)
            Passed by a vote of 95-4
- Boxer #2456 (aerial inspections); (60 votes needed)

Does not pass by a vote of 47-47

- Johanns #2372 (aerial inspections); (60 votes needed)
            Did not pass by a vote of 56-43
- Murray # 2455(sequestration); (60 votes needed)   

Passed by a voice vote.  

- McCain #2162 (Sequestration report – DoD); (60 votes needed)
            Withdrawn
- Rubio #2166 (RAISE Act) (60 votes needed)
            Did not pass by a vote of 45-54

***Follow Nick on Twitter for more information