WASHINGTON, DC – With a full agenda before them and just over two months remaining in the year, two of the top staff leaders on Capitol Hill appeared before a luncheon discussion of The Ripon Society yesterday afternoon to discuss the challenges facing Congress and the legislative outlook for 2016.
“We appreciate Mike and Hazen for taking the time to be with us yesterday afternoon,” stated Jim Conzelman, the President & CEO of The Ripon Society. “There is a lot of uncertainty out there to say the least. On the Hill, Congress is facing a number of critical votes in the coming weeks, from raising the debt limit to electing a new Speaker. Off the Hill, the volatility of the presidential campaign has added a new dynamic to the policy debate and prompted new questions about what the agenda may look like next year. The purpose of yesterday’s discussion was to examine some of these questions and get a better sense of the debate as we move forward this fall and look toward 2016.”
The leaders were Mike Sommers, the Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House John Boehner who has been named by Roll Call as one of the top congressional staff members each of the past 10 years, and Hazen Marshall, the Policy Director to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who has over 25 years of experience in Republican politics and policymaking both on and off of Capitol Hill.
According to Conzelman, yesterday’s roundtable discussion was attended by a group of just over 100 people and follows up on similar discussions The Ripon Society has held over the past few years with senior staff members from both the U.S. House and Senate. He noted that the next Ripon Society discussion will be held next Thursday, October 22nd. The discussion will focus on cybersecurity and will feature Congressmen John Ratcliffe, Pat Meehan and Randy Neugebauer. One week later, on October 29th, Conzelman added that The Ripon Society will be hosting a breakfast looking at mental health reform with one of the country’s leading and most eloquent voices on the issue – Congressman Tim Murphy. Murphy will be joined at the breakfast by two other leaders on the issue — Congresswoman Susan Brooks and Congressman Larry Bucshon. The following week, on Thursday, November 5th, Conzelman stated that Ripon will be hosting a breakfast discussion on national defense with Chairman Mac Thornberry, Rep. Jackie Walorski, and other Members of the House Armed Services Committee.
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 the lunch discussion, please click here.