By Annabel Greene & Ansley Langham
Summer 2022 Interns
August 9, 2022
During the week of July 25, 2022, we had the opportunity to receive a firsthand, bipartisan experience working on Capitol Hill. Thanks to a partnership with Rep. French Hill (R-AR) and the Democratic (Majority) Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security, we completed an externship in each congressional office and learned more about the legislative process.
Ansley’s Experience
Spending a week on the Hill made working with Congress seem more attainable. I was surprised by just how many varied backgrounds there are amongst staffers on the Hill, and I learned that there are so many meaningful jobs for a variety of education and experience levels. I also was able to attend a House Financial Services Committee markup with Rep. Hill. Committee mark-ups are where real legislative debate happens and it was fascinating to watch Members of Congress consider and discuss amendments right in front of me. I was encouraged by the small moments of bipartisanship, whether it be ideological diversity among staff in an office or Members greeting each other in the hall regardless of political affiliation. I found it inspiring to see collaboration and respect across the political spectrum.
Annabel’s Experience
At the Committee on Homeland Security, I was able to attend the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations hearing on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s use of Facial Recognition Technology at the U.S.-Mexico border. I was able to see bipartisan work firsthand as Members from both sides of the aisle discussed the pros and cons of this technology with the witnesses. I also was pleasantly surprised by how much my writing skills improved in just one week. I was offered the opportunity to write and receive feedback on several memos that will be considered by the Members and staff in each office. I received professional development advice from various Members and staffers on the Hill.
General Responsibilities and Takeaways
Each office had intern responsibilities that we assisted in each day. In both offices, we made sure all the TVs were on to show what was happening on the House floor each day, helped sort through the constituent mail, and learned our way around the Capitol complex by helping lead constituent tours and attending events.
During our time in Rep. French Hill’s office, we wrote letters on his behalf in response to constituent concerns. At the Committee on Homeland Security, we had the opportunity to write memos proposing new Homeland Security legislation to the Chair and relevant subcommittees. Because we worked at two different congressional offices—one a Member’s personal office, the other a House committee—we were able to experience two different staff sizes with different levels of interdependency.
Many members of the staff in each office were happy to take time out of their busy days to give us professional development advice. For example, Annabel and other Committee interns sat down with Nicole Tisdale, the former Chief of Staff for the Committee and founder of the non-profit, Advocacy Blueprints, to ask questions about her experience with Congress and what she recommends for young people eager to gain a foothold on the Hill. One of Annabel’s greatest takeaways from this meeting was Nicole’s advice to do yearly check-ins to make sure that your work still aligns with your goals and values.
In Rep. Hill’s office, Annabel also received tips on how to improve her interviewing skills from the Communications Director, Dan Schneider, and Legislative Correspondent, Savannah Bolender, as they were interviewing candidates for the open staff assistant position in the office. Ansley learned a lot from both offices about how building your network and knowing people is the best way to get jobs on the Hill. The Staff Director at the Committee on Homeland Security, Hope Goins, offered Ansley some good advice, advising her not to be afraid of working her way up. Ms. Goins often reminds young staffers that just because they start their careers in junior positions, it does not mean that they are going to stay there. With the right connections and a demonstrated work ethic, she believes you quickly can advance professionally. Ansley saw firsthand the importance of strong professional connections in both offices.
We are thankful to the offices of Rep. French Hill and the Majority Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security for hosting us and supporting enriching, bipartisan policymaking experiences for students. This experience helped Ansley and Annabel on their path to becoming future women leaders and will continue to uplift future interns to foster representative democracy and support future women on the Hill.
