Inside Congress: Understanding Congressional Operations

September 10-14, 2012 Washington, DC Preliminary Agenda (8/28/2012)

Monday, September 10, 2012

8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast Saul/ Zilkha Rooms Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., NW

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Welcoming Remarks and Introductions Saul/ Zilkha Rooms . Peter Schoettle, Director of Policy Programs, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution; and . Ian Dubin, Program Manager, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

9:15 – 10:00 a.m. Review: The Basics for Understanding Congress Saul/ Zilkha Rooms . Peter Schoettle, Director of Policy Programs, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

10:00 – 10:15 a.m. Break

10:15 – 11:15 a.m. Leadership and Organization in the 112th Congress Saul/ Zilkha Rooms . Stephen Billet, Director, Legislative Affairs, Graduate School of Political Management, George Washington University (confirmed)

11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Break

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Monday, September 10, 2012 (continued)

11:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. Understanding the 112th Congress Saul/ Zilkha Rooms . Ilona Nickels, Public Policy Consultant; former House and Senate Staffer, and Congressional Research Service expert on legislative procedures (confirmed)

12:40 – 1:30 p.m. Lunch Somers Room

1:40 – 3:30 p.m. The Congressional Authorization, Appropriation and Saul/ Zilkha Rooms Budget Process . Peter Schoettle, Director of Policy Programs, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Break

3:45 – 4:45 p.m. Congress and the Executive Branch: A Cultural Comparison Saul/ Zilkha Rooms . Mark Lowenthal, former Assistant Director for Analysis and Production, National Intelligence Council, CIA; former Staff Director, House Select Committee on Intelligence; and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research (confirmed)

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Tuesday, September 11, 2012

8:30 – 9:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast Room B340 Rayburn HOB

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. The Congress and the Media: A Panel of Correspondents Room B340 Rayburn HOB . Jennifer Steinhauer, Congressional Correspondent, The New York Times,(confirmed) and . Dana Bash, Senior Congressional Correspondent, CNN (confirmed)

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. Leadership in the United States Senate Room B340 Rayburn HOB . John Schall; former Assistant to Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), former Majority Leader, U.S. Senate (confirmed)

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Luncheon Room B340 Rayburn HOB

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. A Member’s Perspective on Serving in Congress: A Room B340 Rayburn HOB Glimpse Inside the Appropriations Process . Congressman Sanford Bishop, (D-GA); Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives (confirmed)

1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Congressional Staffers’ Roles and Responsibilities: Panel Room 340 Cannon HOB . Clare Sierawski, Legislative Assistant for Health, Office of Senator John Kerry, (D-MA), U.S. Senate; (confirmed) . Jamie Guinn, Professional Staff Member, Foreign Operations Subcommittee; Appropriations Committee (Majority), House of Representatives; and (confirmed) . William Perry, Senior Legislative Assistant, Office of Congressman Michael Michaud, (D-ME), House of Representatives (invited)

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 – 4:15 p.m. How Congress Really Works: The Perspective of a Former Room 340 Cannon HOB Congressman . Former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, (R-IL), Senior Advisor, Dickstein Shapiro LLP (confirmed)

4:15 p.m. Pick up House and Senate Gallery Passes from Members of Congress BROOKINGS | 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20036 | www.brookings.edu/execed 3

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

8:15 – 8:45 a.m. Continental Breakfast Room 340 Cannon HOB

8:45 – 9:15 a.m. Briefing for Attending Committee Hearings and Mark-ups Room 340 Cannon HOB ▪ Peter Schoettle, Director of Policy Programs, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Attend Selected House and Senate Committee Hearings and Mark-up Sessions

11:30 – 12:00 noon A Member’s Perspective on Serving in Congress: Room 340 Cannon HOB Immigration Reform, What is Achievable in Congress? . Congressman Luis Gutierrez, (D-IL); Ranking Member of Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity, Financial Services Committee; Member Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Chair, Immigration Task Force, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House of Representatives (invited)

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Lunch Room 340 Cannon HOB

12:30 – 1:00 p.m. A Member’s Perspective on Serving in Congress: Room 340 Cannon HOB The Politics of Gerrymandering . Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, (R-MD); Member of Armed Services; Science, Space & Technology; and Small Business Committees; House of Representatives (confirmed)

1:30 – 2:15 p.m. Briefing in Preparation for Observing Senate and House Floor 340 Cannon HOB Action . Ian Dubin, Program Manager, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Observe Floor Action in the House and Senate

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Thursday, September 13, 2012 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast and Group Discussion Room 340 Cannon HOB . Peter Schoettle, Director of Policy Programs, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution . Ian Dubin, Program Manager, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Leading the Republican Party in the House of Representatives: Room 340 Cannon HOB How Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor Managed a Revolution . Kyle Nevins, Deputy Chief of Staff, Congressman Eric Cantor (R- VA), Majority Leader, House of Representatives (confirmed)

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Attend Selected House and Senate Committee Hearings and Mark-up Sessions, Or Observe House and Senate Floor Action

11:30 – 12:00 noon A Member’s Perspective on Serving in Congress: The Room 340 Cannon HOB Republican Party’s Alternative to President Obama’s Health Care Reform . Congressman Charles Boustany, Jr. (R-LA); Member, Ways and Means Committee, House of Representatives (confirmed)

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. Luncheon Room 340 Cannon HOB . 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. A Member’s Perspective on Serving in Congress: Fighting Room 340 Cannon HOB And Winning to Abolish Earmarks . Congressman Jeff Flake, (R-AZ); Member, Appropriations Committee; House of Representatives (confirmed)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Campaign Finance: Is the System Broken? What Should Be Room 340 Cannon HOB Done? . Bob Biersack, Senior Fellow, Center for Responsive Politics and Former Special Assistant to the Staff Director, Federal Election Commission (confirmed)

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. Break

2:45 – 3:45 p.m. The Role and Operations of a Congressional Caucus: Room 340 Cannon HOB The Democratic Blue Dog Coalition . Katie Campbell, Policy Director, The Blue Dog Coalition, House of Representatives (confirmed) 3:45 – 4:00 p.m. Break

4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Group Discussion on the current state of Congress

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Breakfast Individually

9:00 – 10:30 a.m. Executive Branch – Congressional Relations: Panel Session Room 340 Cannon HOB With Federal Agencies’ Legislative Liaison Officers . Elizabeth King, Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, Office, of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense; (confirmed) . Edward Hunter, Director, Washington Office and Congressional Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services; (confirmed) and . Melissa Mann, Director, Office of Legislative Affairs, Department of Homeland Security (confirmed)

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break

10:45 – 11:45 a.m. The Role of Party Leadership: The House Democratic Room 340 Cannon HOB Leadership Operation . Christopher DeBosier, Deputy Director of Member Services, Office of House Minority Whip, Congressman Steny Hoyer, (D-MD), House of Representatives (confirmed)

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Individually

1:00 – 2:15 p.m. Lobbying the Congress Room 340 Cannon HOB . Ariel Gonzalez, Director, Federal Health and Family Advocacy, AARP; and (confirmed) . Robert F. O’Connor, Vice President, Government Affairs, Goldman Sachs (confirmed)

2:15 – 2:30 p.m. Break

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Seminar Wrap-Up, Evaluation, and Awarding Certificates Room 340 Cannon HOB . Peter Schoettle, Director of Policy Programs, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution; and . Ian Dubin, Program Manager, Brookings Executive Education, the Brookings Institution

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