March Already?

The days are getting longer, both in sunlight and in work. The Senate has been is session all week, debating bills on the floor, such as S.1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2007. I followed the debate, tracked the amendments to the bill as they were introduced and voted on, and tallied the final votes on all amendments heard. This way, the office has a record of the outcomes and votes. All of the clocks in Senate offices were marking time for the start and end to voting, with a series of bells and lights. How the senators make it from their offices to the Capitol to vote in just three minutes is the mark of experience (I’d be a Nrvous Nelly not to get there on time). They get 15 minutes to vote, but they seem to wait a bit before getting there.

I learned that I could walk through the tunnels and along that little subway track line from Hart to the Capitol for a briefing in under 15 minutes myself, that is, if I avoid those frequent wrong turns). Last week’s hearing was by the Association of Schools of Public Health, bringing to our attention the need for preparing an additional 250,000 public health workers into the workforce by 2020. It was well attended, plus I saw my former public health biostats professor from 1977!

The HELP committee (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) reconvened its 2/14/08 committee meeting (postponed for two weeks after losing its quorum for discussion) and released two of its 6 bills from committee, after partisan discussion. The majority of the members were absent from the committee meeting (other committees meet at the same time, and sometimes even the Senate is on the floor during this same time). Absent members seem to give their proxy to either the Chair (Senator Kennedy, D-MA) or the ranking member (minority Senate member with greatest seniority on committee, in this committee, Senator Enzi (R-WY), so voting on the bills and amendments was able to occur.

All committees were meeting, having hearings, introducing and releasing bills, and doing other business of the Chamber. In our office, we prepared information for the Senator to send a letter of concern about the lack of FDA inspections of foreign drug manufacturing plants and products. Culling information from Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports, GAO (Government Accountability Office) reports, CBO (Congressional Budget Office) reports, past Senate hearings, and even from the FDA itself helped us substantiate his concern. On another matter, and after much research, coalition building, and gaining support from many other Senate offices, the Senator felt there was enough evidence to call on Interior Secretary Kempthorne to “find” for an endangered species ruling for the rufa (the red knot shorebird). Watching that process was fascinating – much hard work, short time frame, identifying experts, extracting the most current and reliable data, gaining allies in the Senate and across the country – very impressive.

Lesson: if a Congressional office calls you, CALL BACK. It’s like responding to the media – ASAP. Our deadlines are often measured in hours, so your calling us back with the information you likely have (on your experience, data you’ve collected, etc) really advances the process.

While the Senate Budget Committee is assembling the budget to mark up this week, I’ve meet with 10+ constituent groups every day, learning about the needs, problems and concerns of either individuals, nonprofit groups and coalitions, or private small business or larger corporations. Many of these folks come every year, often with multi-year requests and projects. It’s a fascinating way to learn about what’s going on in the state. My favorite “ask” was from a young boy, who asked for a time machine.

Not as much time to explore the city, but I did catch the Pink Martini concert with the NSO (National Symphony Orchestra) at the Kennedy Center – one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to – great music, great singing, and much joy. And I’m learning that I can get to the fabulous fish store in Georgetown before 7pm, and the Dupont Circle farmer’s market on Sunday mornings before 1pm, even though it gets crowded by 10am (when they open!). Carrots never tasted better. It’s impossible now to get to the Kennedy Center Millennium stage for their free 6pm concerts. No wonder Congressional staff looks forward to when the Chambers are not in session.

I’ve also learned to carry money in my coat pocket, since you often see homeless people asking for money for food. I’ve gotten the hang of adding money to my laundry card and my Metro Smartcard (after several struggles), and am used to taking the blue line to the Capitol South Metro exit and walking up to Hart (the Senate Office Building with my office, aka cubicle). I’m not counting last Thursday morning, when engrossed in the newspaper, I noticed everyone else getting off. I joined them, only to find myself one stop short. (Oops.) I headed in the direction of the U.S. Botanic Gardens (which I knew was next to the Capitol, and I could find my way from there) and lo and behold! What should I pass but none other than the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services? Not necessarily your routine tourist stop, but it’s good to know where it is, right?

Question: does it mean the same thing when the Metro lights blink red or yellow when a train enters the station?