WASHINGTON, DC — The Ripon Society held a virtual discussion yesterday afternoon with three Republican Chiefs of Staff in the U.S. Senate, who discussed, among other topics, the challenges facing the American people in 2021 and the legislative agenda on Capitol Hill this year.  

The Chiefs participating included: Larry Burton, who heads up the staff of Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska; Lisa Goeas, who heads up the staff of Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa; and, Ted Lehman, who heads up the staff of Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.  

“These are challenging times to say the least,” stated Jim Conzelman, the President & CEO of The Ripon Society. “The coronavirus is still a threat, the economy is still struggling, and the effort to safely reopen America’s schools is going slower than it should. To meet these challenges, Congress cannot resort to politics as usual, where one side relies on base-driven appeals while the other side launches baseless attacks.  

“Instead, Republicans and Democrats must put politics aside and make sure the interests of the country come first. Larry Burton, Lisa Goeas and Ted Lehman have been doing just that throughout their careers, and we appreciate them taking time out of their busy schedules to join us yesterday afternoon.” 

“Republicans and Democrats must put politics aside and make sure the interests of the country come first. Larry Burton, Lisa Goeas and Ted Lehman have been doing just that throughout their careers.”

According to Conzelman, yesterday’s virtual meeting was attended by a crowd of over 90 people, and was the 10th virtual event The Ripon Society has hosted in 2021. He added that The Ripon Society will host two other virtual discussions next week. The first with U.S. Reps. John Curtis (UT-3) and Blake Moore (UT-1),who will discuss their priorities in the new Congress, and the second with U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who will discuss where he believes Republicans and Democrats can find common ground.

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.