WASHINGTON, DC – With the first half of the First Session of the 114th Congress nearly complete, The Ripon Society hosted a roundtable discussion yesterday afternoon with 11 senior staff leaders from the United States Senate to discuss the accomplishments of the past five months and the legislative agenda for the remainder of 2015.
“What a difference a year makes,” stated Jim Conzelman, the President & CEO of The Ripon Society. “At this time in 2014, people were talking about dysfunction in the Senate and the inability of Congress to get anything done. They aren’t saying that anymore. In the first six weeks of this year alone, the Senate voted on more amendments than were voted on in all of 2014. Along those same lines, through the first six months of this year, the Senate has voted on more amendments than were voted on in 2013 and 2014 combined.
“In short, the Senate is working again. As a result, Congress is working again. We see it in the legislation that has been approved so far this year. For the first time since 2001, Congress passed a budget that will provide Washington with a fiscal blueprint for how much it can spend. After years of kicking the can down the road, Congress passed a bipartisan long-term fix that will reform the ways doctors are paid under Medicare. And earlier this month, Congress passed a landmark bipartisan agreement that will give them final approval over any nuclear agreement that is reached with Iran.
“One of the reasons the Senate is working is because of some of the key staff members who are working behind the scenes to get things done. We were fortunate to be joined at our roundtable discussion by 11 of these individuals, and were honored to have them with us yesterday afternoon.”
“What a difference a year makes. At this time in 2014, people were talking about dysfunction in the Senate and the inability of Congress to get anything done. They aren’t saying that anymore.”
According to Conzelman, the individuals included: Rick Murphy, Chief of Staff to Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH); Susan Olson, Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator John Boozman (AR); Susan Wheeler, Chief of Staff to Senator Mike Crapo (ID); Kate Dickens, Chief of Staff to Senator Mark Kirk (IL); Mark Isakowitz, Chief of Staff to Senator Rob Portman (OH); Alan Hanson, Chief of Staff to Senator Richard Shelby (AL); Glen Chambers, Chief of Staff to Senator Roy Blunt (MO); Natasha Hickman, Legislative Director to Senator Richard Burr (NC); Joe Donoghue, Legislative Director to Senator John McCain (AZ); and, Charles Cogar, Legislative Director to Senator Tim Scott (SC). Also participating was Michelle Barlow Richardson, the Chief of Staff to Senator Roger Wicker (MS), who helped organize the event and gave introductory remarks to kick-off the discussion.
Conzelman noted that yesterday’s roundtable discussion was attended by just over 100 people and follows up on similar roundtable discussions The Ripon Society has held over the past few years with senior staff members from both the U.S. House and Senate. He also noted that the next Ripon Society discussion will be a June 2nd breakfast briefing on the American electorate with pollsters Ed Goeas, the President & CEO of the Tarrance Group, and Carroll Doherty, the Director of Political Research at the Pew Research Center.
The Ripon Society is a public policy organization that was founded in 1962 and takes its name from the town where the Republican Party was born in 1854 – Ripon, Wisconsin. One of the main goals of The Ripon Society is to promote the ideas and principles that have made America great and contributed to the GOP’s success. These ideas include keeping our nation secure, keeping taxes low and having a federal government that is smaller, smarter and more accountable to the people.
To view additional photos from yesterday’s breakfast discussion, please click here. RS.