[ad_1]
For many years the Earl’s representative Blumenauer began each parliamentary session by writing a personal letter to each new member of the House. and send the letter to their office in person The letter contained all the advice he wished he had received in his first term.
Present Blumenauer Democrats in Oregon Retiring after 28 years in office, this month marks the last time newcomers will receive his letter. It has evolved in the nearly two decades since his first draft. He shared his last letter with me last month. It focuses more than I expected on the human needs of the men and women elected to represent us. As Blumenauer suggested in an interview, Congress performs better if lawmakers eat healthily. Get enough exercise Spend more time with family Build deeper relationships with fellow members and take care to hire good employees
What follows is an edited version of our interview.
Conor Friedersdorf: You first joined the council in 1996, and 10 years later you wrote an orientation letter to help new colleagues. What inspired you?
Earl Blumenauer: I was campaigning in North Carolina for former professional football player Heath Shuler––and at the time spoke with his campaign manager, an experienced political operative. It was clear to me that even he knew how to run a campaign. But he didn’t know. How will it help Heath establish a congressional office if he wins? For driving long distances I tried to let him know what he was going through. And when I get home I opened a few pages to gather that information.
Starting off right is important. Considering the challenges they are facing Not just as a member But as a human being Because to be honest Congress can be soul-shattering. Work is often chaotic. It is completely unpredictable. And many aspects of it are getting worse.
Friedersdorf: Americans can turn on C-SPAN and watch the committee hearings. class discussion And what’s so chaotic and unpredictable about voting on bills where everyone says “yes” or “no”?
Blumenauer: The dance of the law is much more complicated than that. Rock School generation, it is very difficult to predict how many votes will be cast or when. You are dealing with the dynamics between the House and Senate. The dynamics within your party—just trying to negotiate across coalitions with your own coalition—and of course There are conflicts between the two sides and dynamics with the President and even a single member of the House of Representatives being able to upset the apple cart and blow things up if they are so inclined.
Schedules can be disrupted in a heartbeat, and often they are. You have an appointment where you are expected to solve a problem with someone over a nice dinner. And that fell apart due to legal issues. Suddenly, you had an unexpected late night at work. There was no opportunity for meals and morning Zoom calls with the home group. Or maybe you’re late on the floor. There is someone waiting for you at the reception. And what you have to do is reduced. Because you’re in a hurry to get on a plane to your district. in which you have both professional and personnel duties
You run the race with a knot in your stomach. Week after week Will I hold this meeting? Vote this? This flight?
Friedersdorf: You recommend getting to know a lot of other members. How does that help?
Blumenauer: In the past few years We have seen guerrilla practices in the legislative process. where people are willing to destroy things Because they are not interested in making laws. They don’t care about the results that normal people expect. They are there to get clicks, command eyeballs, and get online support. That creates more uncertainty in the process. And you don’t want to waste your time on something that turns into a performance or a personal vendetta. So you look for information from others. No one knows what is going on in Congress at any given time. Therefore, relationships are very important in determining what will and will not happen. Meeting new members and staff members and their spouses helps me understand what’s going on and who I can work with.
Friedersdorf: I was surprised how much your advice can be applied to a high stress job. You tell members of Congress to eat healthy, exercise, and make time for their families.
Blumenauer: I encourage people to keep healthy food on the table because meal times are very unpredictable. I recommend getting into the habit of taking the stairs and riding your bike to work. Because that creates exercise that you can’t do normally. And it’s easy to get caught up in work and neglect family if you don’t put family time on your calendar and teach your employees to respect it.
Friedersdorf: Following such advice will no doubt help members personally. Will it be better for the country as well?
Blumenauer: I feel that way very much. You have a lot of people living far from home. Not receiving enough nourishment Too much caffeine Perhaps they drink alcohol, are often sleep-deprived, irritable, and constantly plunge into uncertainty about their schedules and travel.
Friedersdorf: In other words You need legislators who are well-rested. It was well cared for, and it wasn’t difficult because the stresses of life made it harder than ever to come to conclusions and compromises.
Blumenauer: Definitely. Especially if they are not in a safe seat. They are also fundraising. Sometimes they forget which city they are in. Going from one hotel room to another hotel room which all have the same characteristics It takes a physical toll. And in terms of emotion If people are involved in leadership or intense political activity Or just tightly wound each other? This may result in conflicts erupting. All of these things seem manageable in isolation. Especially in the beginning But these things turned out to be cumulative. If you don’t help people understand the power they’re stepping into, They don’t appreciate what they have to do to preserve their family, their friendships, and their health. That kind of fighting makes you worse at your job. It is essential to humanize this process.
Friedersdorf: You send letters to Republicans and Democrats. You want members of both parties to do their best. Why?
Blumenauer: Most of what we do doesn’t take sides. From my first political experience I’m always looking for things that bring people together. I started a campaign to lower the voting age. and develop relationships on both sides of the constitutional amendment aisle. I was amazed at how great it was at enabling people to work together.
Every piece of legislation I introduce starts out as bipartisan. We have a bipartisan Bicycle Caucus. Animal welfare is not a partisan issue, nor should it be. I have worked diligently to cultivate, if I can use that word. That is, a bipartisan coalition on marijuana policy.
Infrastructure has never been partisan. It’s one thing to bring people together to deliver for their districts. Some of my proudest achievements relate to international water. We have assembled a bipartisan coalition that provides resources for poor people around the world related to water and sanitation. As a result, tens of millions of people survived. It is not without controversy. You have to pay for it. And sometimes it gets involved in partisan conflicts, but mainly it doesn’t.
Friedersdorf: The most powerful committees in Congress have enormous power and influence. Do you recommend that new members avoid evaluating less well-known committees? Why?
Blumenauer: I’ve worked hard for decades to get on the Ways and Means Committee, and wow, it’s really exciting and impactful. But there are no bad committees. While working to find ways and means I can have an impact on the Foreign Affairs Committee related to trade and technology policy. The Transportation Infrastructure Committee has a profound impact on communities across the country, so if you want to be on the Finance Committee where they collect taxes and spend, that’s fine, but being on Foreign Affairs or Veterans Affairs? Because they are not famous Therefore there is more turnover. You can be the chair or ranking member of a subcommittee in one or two sessions of Congress. You can develop expertise Move additional laws get seen and achieve important achievements
Friedersdorf: You encourage new members to invest significant time and effort in staffing the new office. How can better than average staffing translate to better outcomes for members?
Blumenauer: You can’t be an expert on every issue. And there is the additional responsibility of representing people at home who are having problems. You must learn to help employees sort out the issues. and help us reach and represent our stakeholders. I think we have a serious shortage of personnel. So hire men and women who are dedicated to being problem solvers. Loyal to their members, loyal to their district and their oath. make a difference I recommend being slow and careful while staffing. And act quickly if it doesn’t work. Non-performers absorb the enthusiasm of those on the team who do.
But because Congress has become more effective Some members therefore did not emphasize the expertise of staff. They employ public relations skills. By providing services in various parts just a little and do not hire political persons at all
Friedersdorf: In voting, you advise, “Do not vote against your conscience,” or your “best judgment,” you call it. “The one thing you can’t explain to your family and your closest supporters” is what tempts members of Congress to cast votes they can’t protect.
Blumenauer: That’s how we got the Iraq war. It was clear to many of us that this was a mistake. But after 9/11, the Iraq War gained popularity. and there was a feeling among some members that If they disagree with public opinion Even if they are reserved. They will have to pay the price. Many foreign policy decisions have tragic consequences. Because it is very difficult for people to vote on their morality and conscience. Sometimes I hear from other members that I admire what you do. I wish I could have done that.– But work is to do that I would like to emphasize that the perceived political cost is negligible for a large number of votes. Because people distort, distort, or lie about your voting record anyway. So straddling difficult problems doesn’t help at all.
Friedersdorf: If you are writing a letter to the American people about something they don’t know about Congress. What would you tell them?
Blumenauer: I’ll start with what we do to help people understand the basics. There are three branches of government. More than half of the people do not know this. So we have our work cut out for us. Another problem: Most people don’t even participate in the primary election. They get their information through social media and bizarre advertising campaigns. And they don’t take advantage of the opportunity to actually meet the candidate.
I don’t have a short slogan. or simple answer But one way to improve things It is for Congress and the 535 men and women who represent us all to exercise their responsibilities more carefully. Be sensitive to each other’s needs as human beings. and conduct legal proceedings with that in mind. We need to model the behavior we want to see from the political process. Identifying issues that are important but not divisive is extremely rewarding. And that is how we will get through these difficult times. It focuses on things that were not included in the last election.
[ad_2]
Source link
