Mid-July Legislative Activity

Evenings at work are longer for legislative staff as Majority Leader Reid (Nevada) introduces and re-introduces legislation to get bills past cloture (that magic 60-vote figure to overcome a filibuster threat by the minority) and on the floor for a vote. Progress on the FISA bill (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act - which changes federal wiretapping laws, in part by granting retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies if the government requested the electronic surveillance), a veto-proof passing of a Medicare bill (which has all but two needed fixes of problematic regulations), and a housing/foreclosure bill.

It was quite moving when Senator Kennedy appeared (a well kept secret, although his wife and niece, Carolyn, where in the gallery) to vote on the Medicare bill, likely being that one vote needed to reach "60."

I expect an energy bill, PEPFAR (the AIDS relief for Africa bill), and a few others to come up this month, while appropriations are moving through committee. It does look as if the budget will be approved by a continuing resolution, as it was last year. This defers real budget authority to the new president, by just continuing spending amounts this year as they were in the past.

Last week was notable for another reason. Unexpectedly, I was granted floor privileges! Why is this a big deal (for me at least)? Technically, no one except Senators is allowed on the Senate floor without permission. The entire Senate has to grant Unanimous Consent (UC) for such a privilege. Legislative staff is likely granted permission once, the first day of the session, for the entire year. For fellows such as myself, my boss had to ask the presiding officer (Senator Klobuchar, in my case) for UC - which she granted "without objection." And there I went, onto the floor to sit on a red plush bench near the back of the chamber not far behind my member. This exchange is printed in the Congressional Record, which of course I printed out the very next day and added my boss's "frank" (signature), with permission, as a keepsake. I tried to find the C-SPAN link to send family, but was unable to.

So what did I see? A mostly empty chamber, frankly, as they were doing morning business. This is when Senators asked for time (1-10 minutes, usually) to give a speech, usually alternating by party. While I was there, Senator Gregg (R-New Hampshire) asked to introduce an energy bill by the Republicans, which was objected to (the Democrats expect to introduce their own energy bill soon). I had the chance to get a close-up view of the historic desks, the detail of the rugs and wallpaper, and a more central perspective of the ceiling design.

Walking through the parlor where the pages sit, waiting to run an errand, I noticed rules and decorum. No cell phones, uniform fashion (navy and gray pants/skirts and jackets, mostly), and the "water chart." The pages bring a glass of water to each speaking Senator without being asked. So how do these pages know who likes sparkling, bottled, or tap, with or without ice? From the water chart, indicating preference and seat, of course!

In addition to needed to be granted permission to come onto the floor, there are other rules. Jackets required, and no open-toed shoes, purses or bags, food, flowers, really anything. I brought only my ID. But it was still a thrill, and literally and figuratively, a privilege.

On a social note, I found the half-price ticket booth in the city. I splurged, and saw Momma Mia! in its last week, and tried "Jaleo," a Spanish tapas restaurant around the corner from the National Theater. Taking a taxi home after the play, we drove by the south lawn of the White House, and I remembered that scene in An American President, where Annette Benning makes the same trip (except she had a date with the president, rather than a campy musical).

Just finished an interesting book (at least to me, now that I walk along Pennsylvania Avenue every day going home from work) called "Pennsylvania Avenue, Profiles in Backroom Power." One powerful lobbyist talks about his approach in several steps:

1. Is there a legislator or regulator challenging rules that would hurt their clients -a "wolf at the door"?
2. Find advocates to speak up for the client - the champions.
3. Identify rival interests to be a foil in arguments over potential government action - the bad guys.
4. Identify the most extreme consequence of the potential policy and use that as a scare tactic - the horror story.

I see this being played out with health care reform, with climate change policy, and other proposed legislation all the time.

Question: How many people are registered as lobbyists nationally?