[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 120 (Thursday, September 4, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1683-E1685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO COMMITTEE STAFF DIRECTORS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID R. OBEY

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 3, 2003

  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I commend to the members of the House the 
following remarks by our former colleague Lee Hamilton:

       Remarks Honoring Committee Staff Directors, July 17, 2003

       It is my pleasure to say a few words in honor of the vital 
     role that you play as committee majority and minority staff 
     directors in the House.
       Let me thank Ron Sarasin for that kind introduction, and 
     Ron and Susie Dicks for their work in helping preserve and 
     enhance our understanding of this magnificent Capitol. I 
     often thought how fortunate I was to be able to work in this 
     magnificent Capitol complex.
       Let me also thank them and many of you here tonight for 
     making this dinner possible with your support.
       The contributions of staff directors to the work of the 
     Congress are immeasurable. I am reasonably confident that 
     every committee Chairman and Ranking Member would say they 
     simply could not do their work without your leadership. I 
     hope that gives each of you a full measure of satisfaction.
       I want to talk for a few minutes about the role of the 
     Congress in this country, the importance of politicians, and 
     why your efforts are so important and worthwhile.


                   Public Attitudes Towards Congress

       You are, of course, familiar with those who are cynical 
     about your work and the work of Congress. The brightest wits 
     in American life have had their fun at the expense of the 
     Congress.
       H.L. Mencken said that, ``with the right pressure, 
     Congressmen would cheerfully be in favor of polygamy, 
     astrology or cannibalism.''
       Mark Twain said, ``suppose you were an idiot, and suppose 
     you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.''
       Will Rogers said that, ``Congress was a never-ending source 
     of amusement, amazement, and discouragement.'' Even so, we 
     honor him with that magnificent statue just off the House 
     floor.
       We have all seen surveys like those showing that 66 percent 
     of Americans can name the hosts of various game shows, while 
     only 6 percent can name the Speaker of the House.
       When I was a Member, I was never particularly disturbed by 
     such survey results. After all, Americans are busy people 
     with many demands on their time, and it is not easy to put in 
     a full day's work and then read an article about Congress or 
     turn on C-Span to watch the House or Senate in session.
       Nor was I bothered by the barbs--after all, we have to 
     appreciate that the bashing of Congress is one of America's 
     all time favorite indoor sports.
       What did bother me, though, was the extent to which people 
     do not understand or appreciate some of the basic concepts 
     that

[[Page E1684]]

     underlie the workings of the Congress, and the role that 
     Congress plays in the life of our representative democracy.
       Even if Americans don't know the name of their senators or 
     representative, they should know something about the 
     importance of what they do to make the country work. Even if 
     they don't know the players or the details of the legislative 
     process, they should know something about how they relate to 
     our system of government. If too many Americans get those 
     concepts wrong, it does matter to the health of our 
     democracy.


                  Role of the Congress and Committees

       In my experience, far too few Americans really understand 
     the most important function of the Congress. It is not, in my 
     view, to pass any particular piece of legislation, or even a 
     budget--but its historic mission is to maintain freedom.
       The great phrases ring through our history--``We the 
     people,'' ``consent of the governed,'' ``a more perfect 
     union.'' These aren't just technical terms of political 
     science. They are words that embody America's civic faith. 
     You and I, above all others, are expected to know them in our 
     bones, and to apply these grand concepts.
       We rely on elected representatives to identify, sort out, 
     and solve the difficult issues of state. It did not have to 
     be this way. Our country would be vastly different if the 
     Founders had placed power in the hands of a single ruler, or 
     given much less voice to the American people.
       In the Congress, Americans have a forum for debate and 
     deliberation in which they can feel a stake. Traditional 
     lawmaking is not just a nicety--it's a necessity if we're to 
     remain a democracy. The lawmaking process allows us to 
     resolve differences, and to live together peacefully, 
     productively and successfully.
       Most Americans may be familiar with the diagram of how a 
     bill becomes a law. Whenever I see those charts I think to 
     myself how sterile they are. They do not convey the 
     dynamics--the frustration, the excitement, the complexity and 
     the necessity of the process.
       Very few Americans understand that the details of this 
     process of deliberation guarantee that their voices are 
     heard, and freedom is protected.
       I worry that astute legislators often bypass steps in the 
     lawmaking process, arguing--in effect--that the ends justify 
     the means. This ``unconventional lawmaking'' is increasingly 
     applied to important legislation. But in doing this we bypass 
     and put at risk the very democratic process that defines our 
     system.
       My view is that important proposals should not bypass the 
     traditional process, including the committee review, because 
     that is one important place where deliberation takes place. 
     That's where Members and staff can ask the hard questions. 
     Committees provide expertise, and an opportunity to consider 
     the merits and smooth out the problems in proposals. This is 
     where we build consensus.
       Some Americans feel that the legislative procedure is too 
     slow and deliberative--they are annoyed by what they perceive 
     as inside-the-Beltway scuffling, and wonder why Congress 
     can't get things done faster.
       But do we really want a speedy system in which laws are 
     pushed through before alternatives are considered and 
     consensus developed? We misunderstand Congress' role if we 
     demand it be a model of efficiency and quick action.
       Our Founders designed a system in which all new proposals 
     get careful scrutiny by going through many layers of review. 
     They were far less interested in moving good ideas 
     efficiently, than they were in preventing bad ideas from 
     becoming the law of the land in the heat of the moment.
       People may sometimes complain about the process, but they 
     benefit from its legislative speed bumps when they want their 
     views heard, their interests protected, and their rights 
     safeguarded.
       As former Speaker Sam Rayburn used to say: ``One of the 
     wisest things ever said was, `Wait a minute.' '' That--in a 
     phrase--is the essential role played by Congressional 
     committees.


                       Importance of Politicians

       Democracy--after all--is a process, not a product. And what 
     our democracy really needs is more politicians.
       That was one line I used to say that was sure to get a 
     reaction. Very few of my constituents agreed.
       Showing skill as a politician has come to mean 
     demonstrating the ability to raise campaign funds, engaging 
     in the tit-for-tat of negative advertising, jockeying for 
     public support based on polls and focus groups, or skewering 
     an opponent with a one-liner during a televised debate.
       People have come to view the word politician--particularly 
     with regard to the Congress--with disdain. Plenty of voters 
     feel that politicians sell-out their beliefs and promises. 
     ``Stick to your guns,'' they urge.
       But controversy and conflict are unavoidable in a nation as 
     large and diverse as ours--a diversity that is rightly 
     represented in the peoples' House. To avoid ripping apart at 
     the seams, our country needs people who know how to 
     accommodate different points of view and work for common 
     solutions--it needs politicians.
       You are an essential part of this effort. By working behind 
     the scenes, knowing what Members want, proposing compromises, 
     addressing all the difficult details of legislation, and 
     dealing with all the worthy groups wanting contradictory 
     things, you--as well as your bosses--have to be politicians 
     in order to keep our democracy running.


                        Being a Good Politician

       For the most part, people don't pay attention to how their 
     hopes, dreams and ambitions are turned into public policy 
     through the lawmaking process. Most citizens and journalists 
     take that very political process for granted. They shouldn't.
       Constituents often asked my position on a substantive 
     issue. I don't think anyone inquired about my political 
     skills--and, in this world, political skills are essential to 
     get things done.
       The key to being an effective legislator or staffer is 
     respecting that system and figuring out how to make it work. 
     So what political skills do you need? Does a Member need?
       First, you know how to consult, particularly with your 
     colleagues--talking to them, listening to them, making sure 
     they feel they are in the loop. Support for ideas is largely 
     built one-on-one, but also in larger forums. Key 
     individuals--inside and outside of the Congress--have their 
     own ideas and valid concerns, and they expect to be able to 
     share them.
       Lyndon Johnson had his own way of putting this with a sign 
     he had in his Senate office: ``You ain't learning nothing 
     when you're talking.''
       Second, you calm--rather than inflame--discussions of 
     controversial issues. Things can get pretty heated in the 
     Congress, and disagreement is inevitable in a House as large 
     and diverse as ours. It is relatively easy to make a bad 
     situation worse. One thing that I'm certain of is that you 
     cannot produce good legislation in a bad atmosphere--you can 
     produce heat in such an environment, but not light.
       Third, you know how to persuade. It takes an enormous 
     amount of persuasion to build a majority in support of an 
     idea. You all know how much persuasion is involved in getting 
     approval of even a modest piece of legislation. You have to 
     line up support and be in touch with sometimes hundreds of 
     individuals from both parties, in the Congress and outside 
     the Congress.
       Fourth, you must be willing to share credit. I remember 
     former Speaker Tip O'Neill putting his arm around me and 
     giving me some advice as we walked down the hall. ``Neil,'' 
     he said--he called me Neil for my first decade in Congress 
     because I reminded him of a Boston baseball player named Neil 
     Hamilton. ``Neil, you can accomplish anything in this town if 
     you're willing to let someone else take the credit.''
       Finally, you know how to compromise. Compromise is 
     essential to producing law in our system. Good politicians--
     legislators and staff--are able to find points of agreement 
     that will allow a consensus to emerge. They will look for 
     solutions that allow both sides to claim--if not victory--at 
     least some gains.
       Your skills are crucial in finding acceptable solutions. 
     Compromise might involve altering some key words; phasing in 
     a change; inserting a new provision; requiring a study; 
     splitting differences in funding; delaying or postponing 
     implementation of a section. You have to seek these 
     accommodations among rival interests because you know that it 
     is necessary to make the Congress--and country--work.
       From my perspective, the ability to build consensus is 
     probably the most important single skill needed in the 
     Congress--by Members and staff. Any fool can blow a meeting 
     or discussion apart--it takes real political skill to bring 
     people together. That is why we need more politicians of your 
     skill these days--not fewer.


                          Why is it Worthwhile

       Well, is this demanding, tedious process of passing 
     legislation worthwhile? You and I know well the frustrations:
       As a Member, I always felt it was hard to keep on the right 
     side of the voter. When I was in my District, I heard 
     complaints that I wasn't spending enough time in Washington; 
     when I was in Washington, people said I was ignoring the home 
     folks and only paid attention to them during elections.
       When I drove an old car in my District, people said it 
     looked like something a farmer would use for hauling trash; 
     when I got a new car, they said the lobbyists had gotten to 
     me.
       When I wore an old suit, people said I had no class; when I 
     wore a new one, I was accused of going high-hat.
       When I missed church, people said I was an atheist; when I 
     attended church, I was a pious fraud, trolling for votes in 
     church.
       When Congress passed a lot of laws, we were a meddlesome 
     Congress; when we weren't passing laws, we were an 
     incompetent, do-nothing Congress ignoring the needs of the 
     country.
       When we supported the president, people said we were a 
     rubber-stamp; when we opposed the president, we were disloyal 
     and obstructionist.
       You can never please everyone when you are working in 
     Congress, no matter how many hours you put in, no matter how 
     skillful you are.
       You all know too well what I'm talking about as staff 
     directors when I talk about the frustrations, among them: 
     committee meetings go on without end; the work is tedious, 
     requiring that you go over legislation comma by comma; you 
     are constantly running from one meeting or appointment to 
     another; your daily schedule is always being interrupted, 
     revised, or simply scrapped; if you have a family, you're 
     going to miss many important family events; and you cannot

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     plan ahead, whether for an evening off or for a vacation, 
     because some event or emergency always demands that Congress 
     stay in session longer than planned.
       All the political posturing, sniping and scrambles to claim 
     credit for good things--or avoid blame for bad--sometimes 
     becomes disheartening, as does the constant maneuvering for 
     partisan advantage. And for putting up with all of this, you 
     get paid less than you could make in the private sector, 
     while facing harsh and frequent criticism.
       Yet despite it all, most members run for reelection and 
     remain in Congress as long as they can. Most of you worked 
     long and hard to become a committee staff director.
       Is it all worthwhile? Yes, of course it is.
       Why? Let's be frank--some of it satisfies the ego. Some 
     like the power and the trappings of power--when you speak, 
     people listen, and that is very satisfying. But most of you, 
     I think, are truly motivated by the belief that, as hard as 
     it is, you can make a difference and enhance the lives of 
     ordinary Americans.
       Then, too, it is all pretty exciting--and interesting. The 
     sheer challenge of public policy issues attracts us. There is 
     a pervasive sense on Capitol Hill that it is where the issues 
     of greatest importance to the nation are being sorted out. 
     This is where the action is. Sometimes this is misplaced, but 
     often it is not.
       You struggle over the issues that aroused the passions of 
     this country's founding generation. How much power should the 
     federal government be given? How should powers be separated 
     among the branches? How do we resolve the tension between 
     encouraging individual liberty and security? What role should 
     our country play in the world?
       These great issues are subject to debate every time a new 
     federal budget comes to a vote, or a major presidential 
     initiative gets introduced on Capitol Hill. When you start 
     working in Congress, you get a chance to take part in this 
     ongoing debate--our great experiment with democracy.
       Your public service gives you a stimulating, proud and 
     lively career.


                               Conclusion

       So I salute each of you for the vital role that you play 
     within this institution, and in your service to your fellow 
     Americans.
       You are contributing to the success and direction of this 
     country. I hope you feel that by working in the Congress you 
     are given the unique opportunity to make a difference in the 
     lives of people and the great affairs of this Nation.
       I would wager that no matter where your career takes you 
     from Capitol Hill, that you will look back on your public 
     service as the most rewarding of your career.
       The work is hard, the recognition rare, the monetary reward 
     modest. But your reward is a deeply fulfilling life in public 
     service and a key role in American democracy. What more could 
     you want?

                          ____________________