Settling In

With the Senate working its way through its spring agenda, I'm starting to feel settled in to my fellowship experience, too. My routines are more familiar, commuting, finding my way around for supplies and snack bars, and recognizing hearing rooms and stairwells. It's feeling like home.

The work is starting to settle into a routine, as well. Check the email when I get into the office, review the schedule for the day and week, review upcoming legislation and committee meeting expectations, see what's happening on the Hill, and try to not get distracted by the considerable gossip - both about the campaign and politics in general. This town is a veritable gossip factory. Respond to requests for information, prepare for Senator's needs: on data, on recommendations, on information.

This week, we prepared for a press conference planned for Monday morning, reviewing recent events and media on the topic, collecting key stats and constituent involvement, and selecting the best time and place. The Senator will be introducing a package of bills (the title of which I created, and with one of the components which I suggested). I was also involved in a hearing this week on the issue.

Attended briefings on other timely issues - patient navigation, sexually transmitted infections in adolescents, and durable medical equipment competitive bidding.

Met with many constituent groups, who are asking for things that I'm now familiar with - the Senator's position, whether he's a cosponsor on a particular bill, and knowing whether other groups have talked to us about the same issue. This gives me confidence. My favorite meetings are those with larger groups of students, and I enjoy the meetings where I know someone in the group from a different context or from previous work in the state. The hardest ones are the families who bring one of their children with the disease/condition that they're asking money for - for research to find a cause and cure. Very hard.

There were several other bills that I suggested the Senator consider cosponsoring, which he did. That always feels good. And when the interns from those sponsoring offices come around for the Senator's signature, I recognize these "Dear Colleague" letters or bills that we're signing on to.

Among the many things we pay attention to in this office are the concerns of constituents. I've created a system where if one of the more frequent emails or phone calls that come to the front desk is related to health, I draft a short response that they can give the callers. I'm often more familiar with the issue, and they feel reassured giving a factual answer, rather than a more general one.

There was one health-related vote this week on the Senate floor (genetic non-discrimination, which passed), and one on pay equity (which was defeated, a long, discouraging story). I hope we'll have more success with the farm bill coming out of conference committee.

This weekend offers over 80 walking tours of the different neighborhoods in the city, and the beginning of its week-long film festival. I rode my bicycle to work for the first time today - not much fun. Cars and busses didn't yield, and cars stopped dead in the right lane to discharge passengers without signaling, forcing cyclists into traffic. Searching for a better way home, I stumbled onto the Waterfront - great find, but a trip doubled in length. I'll have to find a better route for both directions. Many other staffers apparently have the same idea, as the bike racks in the garage of my senate office building were packed!

Finished an unexpectedly enjoyable book: "What I Was," by Meg Rosoff. Better than "House and Senate," anyway (sorry, Ross).

Question: if there are black squirrels only in Princeton, NJ, why have I seen four here in D.C.?