Let the fellowship begin. Two-minute walk to the Metro, 3 stops on the orange/blue line, 3 stops on the red line and a 4 minute walk (if I don't walk into Dirksen by mistake) and I'm in Hart in 1/2 hour. [One hour if I walk, but it has to be in the good walking shoes - not so attractive with a skirt. Once I'm organized, I'll keep a decent pair of shoes in the office to wear during the day.]
Quite a few new people started last week and today - interns in particular. Never underestimate the value of an intern - often a recent college graduate. They are poised, bright, patient, energetic and willing to do anything. Who do you imagine helps organize the answers to all (tens of thousands!) of those constituent emails and letters? Need help with the computer or IT issues? Ask an intern...
I'm in "fellow row" with another Fellow. Very convenient to the mini-kitchen, the supply cabinet, and the back door. Lots of foot traffic too - good for getting updates and meeting everyone else in the office.
I'm impressed with the seriousness and respectfulness given to constituent needs and to responding in a timely way to ALL of the constituent correspondence. As a regular writer to my own members, it's reassuring.
Finding my way around the office. Who's who, where do they sit, whom can I ask my silly questions to? Found the paper and pens, found the xerox machine, signed my I-9 form, registered for ethics training, and got my email address and a connection to a shared printer. Now I'm official! Added key website links to "favorites," as once I'm in full gear, I suspect I'll need these resources at my fingertips. It's not enough to know where to go, it's a matter of finding it and using it quickly.
Reading the testimony for tomorrow's hearing, and understanding the issues to help the legislative staff. Once my summary is acceptable, preparing possible questions for the senator to review.
Fun! Digest and summarize problems and solutions, pro's and con's. Think beyond the actual testimony, find what else has been credibly written on the issue (e.g., by the Congressional Research Service - see, that orientation is coming in handy already!) And slip in a little upstream thinking regarding public health - value of prevention to reduce downstream treatment costs. Voila!
Oh, lunch? It took more time to find the cafeteria than it did to gobble it down. Tomorrow - bring and horde healthy snacks to make it through the day. Note to self: avoid the chocolate put out for visitors.
Also accompanied the legislative assistant to pre-hearing briefing. Meeting the staff of the members of the committee holding tomorrow's hearing. Learning about the credentials of the majority and minority experts testifying and the gist of their remarks. Reviewing the hearing schedule and bill action of the week. Much effort is made to be organized and share information (among party members, as best I can tell so soon). With so much being unpredictable (how soon bills will move through committee or the other chamber, and what they will look like in the specifics), this effort to keep everyone posted and up to date is much appreciated.
Time now to watch the State of the Union message, knowing I was sitting in that chamber during orientation only two weeks ago!
To be continued!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Decision Time
A weekend off, and full of "What if's..?" The last chance to imagine myself in a variety of offices, and to keep checking email to see if I've heard from any others. If only these staffs were on the same time schedule, and all of the offers came in around the same time. There are offices high on my list of desired assignments from whom I haven't even heard back, with one (very high on the list) making me a rather insistent offer. Everyone but one person encouraged me to take it (easy for them to say...). Luckily, there are few wrong decisions for an assignment, as I would learn a lot in any of them.
Considerations for making a decision (in no particular order):
- How nice is the staff?
- How organized is the office?
- How experienced and respected is the member?
- What are they working on this year?
- Will they be distracted by a campaign (and a contentious one, at that)?
- To whom will I be directly working with, and are they someone who can mentor me?
- How much will I be involved in policy vs. constituent work?
- Is there opportunity for meetings with senior staff and the senator?
- Is there an opportunity to get to the Senate floor? To participate in hearings and bill mark-ups? To offer ideas for amendments? To be responsible for tracking bills?
- Are there opportunities to learn new issues, or will I be concentrating deeply on just a few?
Many offices are small (especially on the House side), and staff work very closely together - both in terms of physical space and on projects - so you really want to feel as if you fit in. It's been described as working like a family (you just hope that it's a functional one).
I've read the reports of past Fellows, describing their selection process and fellowship experience. Being respected and considered part of the team, and having a good "gut" instinct about the fit seem very important.
The staffs in one Senator's and one Congressman's office have been professional, warm and encouraging, both inviting me back for follow-up meetings with either the hiring person (legislative director) or Representative himself. I learned that you don't take these meetings unless you are ready to accept on the spot if the offer is made.
The staff in other offices also responded, indicating that they weren't looking for a health fellow at this time (finance, environment, military were their needs this year, and they wanted someone with more experience and content in those issues). Still others indicated that they already had a health fellow in the office.
So while a Fellow might be "free" skilled labor, it still needs to be the right fit at the right time, in an office that literally has an extra desk and chair. One office reluctantly turned me down based on having not another inch for a person to work at. And this isn’t the kind of work that you can telecommute to. Relationships, networks, flexibility and instant response are the coin of the realm in this world.
While waiting to hear, I've organized my notes from the training and added the key websites to my "favorites" list. I'll share them in my next entry. I also want to visit the senate bill room, the congressional research service and the legislative information service before I start, as these resources will also be very helpful.
This week, I'm having lunch with a lobbyist (sounds scandalous, but it's an old colleague working for a nonprofit in D.C.), another health fellow (sponsored by the Association of Schools of Public Health, who has an assignment with the HELP - Health, Education, Labor and Pensions - committee), and dinner with an old friend from school. In between, the cable guy should be coming (4th attempt, don't even ask), the Brookings Institution has a lecture by the author of "Eleanor & Ike," and the Kennedy Center had an uplifting free concert by Coolooloosh (look it up...).
Oh, and I accepted an assignment with a Senator's office. (You guessed that, right?) I'm familiar with this particular state and its issues, the staff were wonderful (friendly, smart, encouraging and professional), and I can both work with the health LA (legislative assistant) and on other projects (starting with reviewing the president's budget). The senator is well respected and expected to have a long and distinguished career. Perhaps I can increase the visibility of public health issues on his radar, especially as he grows as a leader in the senate and the party. I start Monday (1/28/08), and will describe more about the assignment and getting started in another post.
Relief - and anticipation! And my newly purchased walking shoes really helped (6 miles today). Achy knees, but the shins are fine.
Considerations for making a decision (in no particular order):
- How nice is the staff?
- How organized is the office?
- How experienced and respected is the member?
- What are they working on this year?
- Will they be distracted by a campaign (and a contentious one, at that)?
- To whom will I be directly working with, and are they someone who can mentor me?
- How much will I be involved in policy vs. constituent work?
- Is there opportunity for meetings with senior staff and the senator?
- Is there an opportunity to get to the Senate floor? To participate in hearings and bill mark-ups? To offer ideas for amendments? To be responsible for tracking bills?
- Are there opportunities to learn new issues, or will I be concentrating deeply on just a few?
Many offices are small (especially on the House side), and staff work very closely together - both in terms of physical space and on projects - so you really want to feel as if you fit in. It's been described as working like a family (you just hope that it's a functional one).
I've read the reports of past Fellows, describing their selection process and fellowship experience. Being respected and considered part of the team, and having a good "gut" instinct about the fit seem very important.
The staffs in one Senator's and one Congressman's office have been professional, warm and encouraging, both inviting me back for follow-up meetings with either the hiring person (legislative director) or Representative himself. I learned that you don't take these meetings unless you are ready to accept on the spot if the offer is made.
The staff in other offices also responded, indicating that they weren't looking for a health fellow at this time (finance, environment, military were their needs this year, and they wanted someone with more experience and content in those issues). Still others indicated that they already had a health fellow in the office.
So while a Fellow might be "free" skilled labor, it still needs to be the right fit at the right time, in an office that literally has an extra desk and chair. One office reluctantly turned me down based on having not another inch for a person to work at. And this isn’t the kind of work that you can telecommute to. Relationships, networks, flexibility and instant response are the coin of the realm in this world.
While waiting to hear, I've organized my notes from the training and added the key websites to my "favorites" list. I'll share them in my next entry. I also want to visit the senate bill room, the congressional research service and the legislative information service before I start, as these resources will also be very helpful.
This week, I'm having lunch with a lobbyist (sounds scandalous, but it's an old colleague working for a nonprofit in D.C.), another health fellow (sponsored by the Association of Schools of Public Health, who has an assignment with the HELP - Health, Education, Labor and Pensions - committee), and dinner with an old friend from school. In between, the cable guy should be coming (4th attempt, don't even ask), the Brookings Institution has a lecture by the author of "Eleanor & Ike," and the Kennedy Center had an uplifting free concert by Coolooloosh (look it up...).
Oh, and I accepted an assignment with a Senator's office. (You guessed that, right?) I'm familiar with this particular state and its issues, the staff were wonderful (friendly, smart, encouraging and professional), and I can both work with the health LA (legislative assistant) and on other projects (starting with reviewing the president's budget). The senator is well respected and expected to have a long and distinguished career. Perhaps I can increase the visibility of public health issues on his radar, especially as he grows as a leader in the senate and the party. I start Monday (1/28/08), and will describe more about the assignment and getting started in another post.
Relief - and anticipation! And my newly purchased walking shoes really helped (6 miles today). Achy knees, but the shins are fine.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Orientation Over, Selection Continues
Has two weeks of Brookings training with the other LEGIS fellows really ended? Apparently yes, as we took our quiz, completed the evaluation and ended the experience with the usual group meal at the America Restaurant in Union Station (convenient, but the food has never been worth writing home about, or blogging about...).
The first week was the thrill of starting. The second week the work was honing in on potential offices, and this week we continued with interviews. I feel as if I've been on 12 first dates. Getting a sense of the person you'd work closely with for a year, getting a feel for the office, being on your best behavior, and selling yourself. It's more tiring than I expected. Now I just want to know "who's taking me to the prom?"
Some offices feel like the wrong fit for me right away, often because the staff is very inexperienced, new to the office and unfocused. I'm looking for an experience where I can understand how the office functions and how I can best contribute. Some offices are much more casual about "systems", info flow, who does what when, and is often (and with pride) in crisis mode. Other offices seem more seasoned to me, with stable staff, clear procedures and a sense of calm during the storm of session - for me, a better learning environment.
I'm pretty sure that at this stage in my life, I no longer have the temperament for the "rough and tumble" of the House, although they pass more legislation and have more political intrigue through their rules and procedures. The Senate Finance Committee reached out to me with interest, yet their process takes several weeks before a formal offer is made - do I want to wait that long and risk losing a personal office? I'm doubtful that I'm willing to.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been that best fit of a well-run office with staff I've "clicked" with doing the exact portfolio (issues) I'm most interested in. One office seemed almost perfect, except for the reputation of one LA (legislative assistant, who manages a portfolio and supervises a Fellow), who "needed anger management," according to one review. In another office, the staff seemed wonderful, had a great reputation, but wasn't working directly on the committees I had the most interest in.
The challenging part is deciding when to decide - how long to wait and keep looking, and when to say "Enough - I can get a good experience here." Some of the offices of the Senators with whom I have a strong interest haven't even responded, despite several emails, phone calls and "drop by's," giving me the impression that they're either not interested, not around, not organized, or not getting the information. I might give them one more chance early next week.
Some of my fellow Fellows already have an assignment, some are very close, some just started interviewing. Perhaps this timing depends on how much patience one has for ambiguity.
The training finished with wonderful exposure to process and resources. We learned from whip staff directors, caucus directors, staff from the CBO (Congressional Budget Office), GAO (now the Government Accountability Office - an oxymoron?), Legislative Counsel (who draft the actual bill language), ethics (don't eat sitting down, and don't do anything you wouldn't want your mother to read about in the newspaper), party leadership practices (taking one on the chin) and lobbying (see "ethics").
Fortunately, a friend called yesterday with an extra ticket to the Rutgers/Georgetown women's basketball game, which was a welcomed diversion to all this Congressional immersion. Hoofed it over there in 30 minutes, lots of stair climbing once on campus, and Rutgers won by 10 (points).
Also had a chance between interviews to stop into the U.S. Botanical Gardens, right next to the Capitol (that was good planning on someone's part), and smell the roses. Frankly, I didn't see any roses (they're near the White House, and actually behind the Treasury Building), but Idid enhale wonderful hyacinth, mints, and other flora fragrances. A welcomed break between interviews, and for this astrological "earth sign," nice to be in a natural environment. The Congressional Office buildings are lots of marble and security, which can wear on the knees and the psyche.
I'm pretty sure I've selected my assignment of choice, but want to give those other Senate offices that one last chance to connect before accepting that offer.
With training over, I'm heading down to visit family in Florida and celebrate my husband's birthday - all a welcome break. Maybe the aha moment will come when I'm not ruminating about it.
The first week was the thrill of starting. The second week the work was honing in on potential offices, and this week we continued with interviews. I feel as if I've been on 12 first dates. Getting a sense of the person you'd work closely with for a year, getting a feel for the office, being on your best behavior, and selling yourself. It's more tiring than I expected. Now I just want to know "who's taking me to the prom?"
Some offices feel like the wrong fit for me right away, often because the staff is very inexperienced, new to the office and unfocused. I'm looking for an experience where I can understand how the office functions and how I can best contribute. Some offices are much more casual about "systems", info flow, who does what when, and is often (and with pride) in crisis mode. Other offices seem more seasoned to me, with stable staff, clear procedures and a sense of calm during the storm of session - for me, a better learning environment.
I'm pretty sure that at this stage in my life, I no longer have the temperament for the "rough and tumble" of the House, although they pass more legislation and have more political intrigue through their rules and procedures. The Senate Finance Committee reached out to me with interest, yet their process takes several weeks before a formal offer is made - do I want to wait that long and risk losing a personal office? I'm doubtful that I'm willing to.
Unfortunately, there hasn't been that best fit of a well-run office with staff I've "clicked" with doing the exact portfolio (issues) I'm most interested in. One office seemed almost perfect, except for the reputation of one LA (legislative assistant, who manages a portfolio and supervises a Fellow), who "needed anger management," according to one review. In another office, the staff seemed wonderful, had a great reputation, but wasn't working directly on the committees I had the most interest in.
The challenging part is deciding when to decide - how long to wait and keep looking, and when to say "Enough - I can get a good experience here." Some of the offices of the Senators with whom I have a strong interest haven't even responded, despite several emails, phone calls and "drop by's," giving me the impression that they're either not interested, not around, not organized, or not getting the information. I might give them one more chance early next week.
Some of my fellow Fellows already have an assignment, some are very close, some just started interviewing. Perhaps this timing depends on how much patience one has for ambiguity.
The training finished with wonderful exposure to process and resources. We learned from whip staff directors, caucus directors, staff from the CBO (Congressional Budget Office), GAO (now the Government Accountability Office - an oxymoron?), Legislative Counsel (who draft the actual bill language), ethics (don't eat sitting down, and don't do anything you wouldn't want your mother to read about in the newspaper), party leadership practices (taking one on the chin) and lobbying (see "ethics").
Fortunately, a friend called yesterday with an extra ticket to the Rutgers/Georgetown women's basketball game, which was a welcomed diversion to all this Congressional immersion. Hoofed it over there in 30 minutes, lots of stair climbing once on campus, and Rutgers won by 10 (points).
Also had a chance between interviews to stop into the U.S. Botanical Gardens, right next to the Capitol (that was good planning on someone's part), and smell the roses. Frankly, I didn't see any roses (they're near the White House, and actually behind the Treasury Building), but Idid enhale wonderful hyacinth, mints, and other flora fragrances. A welcomed break between interviews, and for this astrological "earth sign," nice to be in a natural environment. The Congressional Office buildings are lots of marble and security, which can wear on the knees and the psyche.
I'm pretty sure I've selected my assignment of choice, but want to give those other Senate offices that one last chance to connect before accepting that offer.
With training over, I'm heading down to visit family in Florida and celebrate my husband's birthday - all a welcome break. Maybe the aha moment will come when I'm not ruminating about it.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Getting Closer
This orientation has been inspiring - listening to the scholars who wrote the books, did the research, worked on committee and personal offices of Senators and Representatives...and they have some fascinating behind the scenes stories and jokes. I'm not a political junkie, not a watcher of the Sunday morning recap shows, and don't keep a scorecard on D.C. happenings, so much of this is new, and sometimes stunning (I'm apparently pretty naive).
For example, the history of the House of Representatives and the expectation that they're always available to their constituents (in these days of immediate media and communication, how can they possibly find time to build relationships and do any governing?) and that they senate was designed to deliberate as long as necessary (which often means either never or forever) - with tools such as anonymously placing holds on bills so that the bills are never heard. Remember back in your civic class? The Senate operates by unanimous consent, meaning that the most freshman senator can hold up the works for a while (even longer with tag-team filibustering - just don't sit down...).
While I believe it is the best government model available, I can't help but think with a bit more collaboration, so much more good policy could be implemented to improve conditions in our nation and world. What if people who did similar work and shared similar values actually talked with each other on a regular basis? But I've always been a dreamer.
For example, the history of the House of Representatives and the expectation that they're always available to their constituents (in these days of immediate media and communication, how can they possibly find time to build relationships and do any governing?) and that they senate was designed to deliberate as long as necessary (which often means either never or forever) - with tools such as anonymously placing holds on bills so that the bills are never heard. Remember back in your civic class? The Senate operates by unanimous consent, meaning that the most freshman senator can hold up the works for a while (even longer with tag-team filibustering - just don't sit down...).
While I believe it is the best government model available, I can't help but think with a bit more collaboration, so much more good policy could be implemented to improve conditions in our nation and world. What if people who did similar work and shared similar values actually talked with each other on a regular basis? But I've always been a dreamer.
Actually there seems to be more bipartisan cooperation and teamwork in the committees, where Fellows are also assigned. Staff committee work also includes drafting legislation, doing more research, creating briefing papers, holding hearings, arranging speakers, etc. It sounds like more of a typical (if there is such a thing) public health job, so I may lean more toward a personal office of a member for this experience. Fortunately, there's no wrong decision.
So what will I be doing once I have an assignment? According to descriptions of fellows sponsored by other organizations (Brookings, ASPH, RWJF, CDC, NIH, ACPM, AAAS, NASA, for example): drafting legislation, briefing members of Congress, serving as a constituent liaison, planning and participating in committee hearings, and more. How cool is that?
Today was the "job fair" as part of the training, where congressional personal office and committee reps - often the legislative director (more likely from a Congressman's - and so far it has been men) or legislative assistant or correspondent (such as from Senator Clinton's office). I met with about 1/4 of the staff from offices on my list, and with some staff from folks that I haven't considered (such as Sen. Sanders, I, that delightful socialist from Vermont, or the legislative counsel from Harkin's office, Iowa). Everyone seems to love their work, their office, and the potential for real change. Yet they also admit how little has been accomplished under the circumstances of a majority not veto-proof, and an active campaign season for 2008.
The job fair was part speed dating, part Greek Rush. In the next week (especially in the time before the State of the Union and beginning of the 2nd session of the 110th Congress), everyone is scrambling for the best fit - both Fellows and the members' offices. Right now I have a second interview with the office of Congressman Holt (yes, that rocket scientist), and Senators Reed, Sanders, Klobuchar, Landrieu and Lieberman. I'm saying yes to anyone to asks - even if I'm not especially interested in the office or aligned with the member's values, as I see it as a good opportunity to build relationships. Around here, it's clearly who you know.
I've interviewed with Congressman Andrews' LD (legislative director), and Senator Menendez's staff, and I'm also interested in a first interview from the offices of Senators Murray (WA), Brown (OH) and Baucus (MT). I've done my research on both committees and caucuses (cauci?), and this year, am leaning toward a personal office (just with the hunch that not much legislation will easily move forward, and I might see more of the full range of how Congress functions).
I'm sleep-deprived! I come back after a full and challenging day, and have hours of homework preparing for the next round of interviews and pitching to other desired offices. But am optimistic that the eventual decision (maybe as soon as next week - my next posting!) will be sooner than later.
What I'm learning from every office is how important the constituents are - letters/emails and visits - all staff are expected to be responsive, to make constituents a priority, and to remember that constituents put and keep the Member in office. Clearly something for all advocates to remember. And every staff who interviewed me paid more attention whenever I was able to make a personal connection to their district or state (my sister went to school there...I vacation there...my mother lives there...you get the idea). Constituent stories that can bring to life an issue support or explain an advocate's more theoretical message carry similar weight.
In the meantime, there's a free concert at the Kennedy Center every day at 6pm - if I can ever get out of work in time. And if not, free concerts at lunchtime at the old Post Office, Sundays at 4pm at the Phillips Collection, and at 6pm at the NGA (Nationally Gallery of Art, remember?).
In the meantime, I've figured out the laundry and recycling where I live (fairly convenient). Recycling on the streets and in some work buildings seems impossible as a visitor so far - disappointing.
I found a notice on my apartment door today: "Owl Pest Prevention serviced your apartment today. You may notice increased activity for a few days..." Owl prevention? Pests? Not in my book - I'd love to see one, anywhere!
And the most frequent question I seemed to be asked in my neighborhood? "Do you know where Trader Joe's is?" Apparently it's the big tourist attraction (so much for Georgetown, Watergate, the great historic buildings, restaurants, parks, concert halls or the mall...), and I am getting spoiled having such a great food store so close by (2 blocks - how great is that?). And I can pick up The Onion newspaper free from the boxes on the street.
Next task: getting comfortable shoes. I've walked home every day in this strangely warm weather (3 miles) and between the concrete, brick and marble (in the House and Senate buildings), my shins are still aching!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Here We Go
I've officially started, and it's as exciting as I imagined.
The city: hard on the shins - lots of concrete and brick. Pedestrian signals countdown the seconds, so you know if you have enough time to dash across these wide streets. Am learning new routes every day - mostly not intentionally, but that's okay. Many folks that you pass on the streets wear headphones or earpieces, often seeming to talk to themselves - hard to get used to.
So much to see and do - how do residents find time to actually work? Have visited the National Gallery of Art (that's NGA in D.C.-speak) for two wonderful exhibits (Hopper and Turner), the Corcoran (Ansel Adams and Annie Liebowitz), the Renwick Gallery (one of my favorites - small, free, whimsical), the Museum of Natural History (Nature's Best photography exhibit), Air and Space museum (lot's of cool stuff!) and just walking around, seeing the buildings I've either written to or heard of (Heldref Publishing, for whom I review manuscripts for the Journal of American College Health), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the White House (of course), etc, etc.
Oh yes, the fellowship experience. The Brookings Institution is "fostering" me for this APHA fellowship, apparently along with the NASA fellows, too. There are Brookings LEGIS fellows from EPA, DOD, and Boeing (I'm already slipping into fed-speak with acronyms). It's the end of day two, and it's been fascinating. We've heard from consultants and scholars about the legislative process and state of Congress (Ilona Nickels, Jim Thurber, Thomas Mann), a former Congressman (Charlie Stenholm from Texas, my first blue dog Democrat, an increasingly important breed), and past Congressional committee and personal office staff (Mark Lowenthal, Stephanie Vance, Larry Halloran, Diedra Henry-Spires). All extremely helpful.
My head is spinning with the options and emotional pendulum about Congress - it's a great time to work there, it's a partisan time to work there and not much gets done, the numbers aren't there for either party to carry out its programs, it's a distracting election year, it will be very exciting...Yikes! I imagine that only time will tell. The biggest decision now is what type of office to work in.
The options: a congressional committee, where you spend time preparing hearings and working on bills - depth, no constituent work, good teamwork [I heard that the Senate HELP Committee(that's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for those of you outside the beltway) is looking for a fellow, in fact].
There's a Senate personal office - more depth but a narrower portfolio" (different issues that you're responsible for) and likely working as a legislative assistant, larger offices with more staff - 1/3 of the Senate is running for office again, but I can check to see how "safe" (~ >55% vote) a seat is.
And the third option is a House personal office - little depth but many different issues to be responsible for, more potential contact with the "member," much smaller offices - often not even room for an extra desk. And all of the House seats are up for re-election, so I imagine that even more staff time in a Representative's office will be devoted to constituent issues this year.
The 110th Congress directory and the Almanac of American Politics are our bibles, as they have lots of interesting information about who's who, where they work, how much seniority they have, and what issues they're interested in (in addition to each member website, of course, which unfortunately vary widely in quality).
I started this experience leaning toward working in a Senate office (thinking it would have more substance, a national perspective, and perhaps even more prestige), but now I'm waivering - there's more of a range of issues in a House office = more stimulating? I keep changing my mind, depending upon who I talked with most recently.
Our task now is to prepare a short resume and cover letter for next week, when we seek interviews in the offices that we're interested in - right now my list includes 9 senators and 7 representatives. But that could change in five minutes.
So far the training is fascinating, the fellow fellows very impressive, and there's no where else I could imagine being.
Lots to learn (both for the fellowship and learning my way around a new city) - and the process of finding the right assignment is emotionally tiring. While I've confidence that it will work out, I'm also ready to have it decided...
On the other hand, the super fixed the garbage disposal and my husband, Tom, sent me flowers, so life is good.
Time to watch the Iowa caucuses and see how that turns out...
The city: hard on the shins - lots of concrete and brick. Pedestrian signals countdown the seconds, so you know if you have enough time to dash across these wide streets. Am learning new routes every day - mostly not intentionally, but that's okay. Many folks that you pass on the streets wear headphones or earpieces, often seeming to talk to themselves - hard to get used to.
So much to see and do - how do residents find time to actually work? Have visited the National Gallery of Art (that's NGA in D.C.-speak) for two wonderful exhibits (Hopper and Turner), the Corcoran (Ansel Adams and Annie Liebowitz), the Renwick Gallery (one of my favorites - small, free, whimsical), the Museum of Natural History (Nature's Best photography exhibit), Air and Space museum (lot's of cool stuff!) and just walking around, seeing the buildings I've either written to or heard of (Heldref Publishing, for whom I review manuscripts for the Journal of American College Health), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the White House (of course), etc, etc.
Oh yes, the fellowship experience. The Brookings Institution is "fostering" me for this APHA fellowship, apparently along with the NASA fellows, too. There are Brookings LEGIS fellows from EPA, DOD, and Boeing (I'm already slipping into fed-speak with acronyms). It's the end of day two, and it's been fascinating. We've heard from consultants and scholars about the legislative process and state of Congress (Ilona Nickels, Jim Thurber, Thomas Mann), a former Congressman (Charlie Stenholm from Texas, my first blue dog Democrat, an increasingly important breed), and past Congressional committee and personal office staff (Mark Lowenthal, Stephanie Vance, Larry Halloran, Diedra Henry-Spires). All extremely helpful.
My head is spinning with the options and emotional pendulum about Congress - it's a great time to work there, it's a partisan time to work there and not much gets done, the numbers aren't there for either party to carry out its programs, it's a distracting election year, it will be very exciting...Yikes! I imagine that only time will tell. The biggest decision now is what type of office to work in.
The options: a congressional committee, where you spend time preparing hearings and working on bills - depth, no constituent work, good teamwork [I heard that the Senate HELP Committee(that's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for those of you outside the beltway) is looking for a fellow, in fact].
There's a Senate personal office - more depth but a narrower portfolio" (different issues that you're responsible for) and likely working as a legislative assistant, larger offices with more staff - 1/3 of the Senate is running for office again, but I can check to see how "safe" (~ >55% vote) a seat is.
And the third option is a House personal office - little depth but many different issues to be responsible for, more potential contact with the "member," much smaller offices - often not even room for an extra desk. And all of the House seats are up for re-election, so I imagine that even more staff time in a Representative's office will be devoted to constituent issues this year.
The 110th Congress directory and the Almanac of American Politics are our bibles, as they have lots of interesting information about who's who, where they work, how much seniority they have, and what issues they're interested in (in addition to each member website, of course, which unfortunately vary widely in quality).
I started this experience leaning toward working in a Senate office (thinking it would have more substance, a national perspective, and perhaps even more prestige), but now I'm waivering - there's more of a range of issues in a House office = more stimulating? I keep changing my mind, depending upon who I talked with most recently.
Our task now is to prepare a short resume and cover letter for next week, when we seek interviews in the offices that we're interested in - right now my list includes 9 senators and 7 representatives. But that could change in five minutes.
So far the training is fascinating, the fellow fellows very impressive, and there's no where else I could imagine being.
Lots to learn (both for the fellowship and learning my way around a new city) - and the process of finding the right assignment is emotionally tiring. While I've confidence that it will work out, I'm also ready to have it decided...
On the other hand, the super fixed the garbage disposal and my husband, Tom, sent me flowers, so life is good.
Time to watch the Iowa caucuses and see how that turns out...
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