Last Day

EXIT MEMO

I could not ask for a better summer than to be working in the office of Barney Frank. I have fielded calls from all around the country in praise of Barney’s legislation and public interviews, and heard testimonies to the same effect from strangers around DC. I was happy to pitch in in the office, get to know Barney’s staff, and learn how we handled the creation, modification, and approval of important legislation on a variety of issues. I did research about various foreign and domestic issues, wrote replies under Barney Frank’s name for our constituents, and heard speeches from Colin Powell, Chuck Hagel, Amy Klobuchar, and Ron Paul. I also got the great opportunity to remodel Barney’s website to make it a little easier to use!

I guess my main interest in volunteering here was to find out the way real change gets done in Washington, who and what make it possible, and how difficult it is. I learned the importance of reading even the powerless foreign affairs resolutions when I helped Markus resolve the H.Con.Res. 362 scuffle. I learned the complexity of the mortgage crisis taking calls about literally dozens of financial and housing issues I had known nothing about. I learned how political theater works watching the Republicans strut around the House during recess demanding energy legislation, and I learned why politics can be difficult when Barney’s hearings were interrupted by GOP leaders attempting to sabotage the Fall River bill.

I know a lot more now than I did in June about life on the Hill. After seven weeks I can finally match up the titles of legislative assistant, legislative correspondent, chief of staff, scheduler, and system administrator to all the staffers here. It’s a constantly busy and often exasperating job creating laws in such a diverse and raucous environment, and I don’t think I would like to come back to DC for a career. But I have a newfound respect for Barney as well as his staff. It’s tough enough managing the immense amount of paperwork, people, and demands on his schedule. But Barney manages to take it on with a level head and a good sense of humor. I am grateful to everyone in the office for letting me volunteer.