My time working in the U.S. Senate

Having been inspired by Sarah Gallagher’s diary as an intern in Washington DC in this weekend’s Irish Times, I’ve decided to revisit my own time in DC.

Throughout this week, I’m gonna post a series of extracts from the blog I wrote while in there as part of the Washington Ireland Program for Service and Leadership.  If you’re interested, you can read my full blog here.

Here’s part one: (From 10th July 2008)

Well, it’s been a day at the Senate for me. There’s something about post-recess that puts a spring in the step and life in the walls. Prior to recess, there were three legislative priorities left undecided: namely, the Housing Bill, FISA (Foreign Intelligence Security Act- or the “Enemy of the State” bill) and the latest Medicare Bill. In the first days back, it’s a big rush to get it all done. Particularly since the forthcoming election means a shortened legislative year, meaning less time to build a portfolio of laws to please the electorates back home.

It’s been a dynamic day. Firstly, Obama and Clinton are in the building. There here for the big votes. They make heads turn and fill the Senate galleries with interested spectators. Plus, you can walk the huge, high halls and see John Kerry, or Sen. Leahy or any number of crucial Senators. Senator Kennedy came back to a rousing standing ovation when he entered the chamber. My fellow interns and I couldn’t understand why the Senators (both democratic and republican) were clapping so enthusiastically, until we saw Kennedy’s face melting with emotion.

At lunch time, I grabbed a sandwich and then headed to a Constitutional Ice Cream social which continued the awe-inspiring theme. Sen. Dodd gave Sen. Byrd a rousing introduction, calling him the supreme authority on the US constitution both contemporaneously and historically. The two men share a long history in the senate, as did their fathers. It was touching to see. The now 91 year old Sen. Byrd is President ‘pro tempore’ of the United States Senate, which puts him third in the line of presidential succession.

Sen Byrd spoke, slowly, precisely and with obvious passion, about the centrality of the constitution to America. If you’ve read the Obama’s “The Audacity of Hope”, you’ll remember the passage when the freshman Senator writes humbly about the the day he met Sen. Byrd and the conversation they had on the fundamental importance of the Constitution.  I get the feeling that we, the audience, were treated to a similar discussion.

This year, the WIP Interns were honored to meet Sen. Hillary Clinton for a brief photo-op. She’s a very striking woman of poise and inherent power. She smiles like she does on TV. She was warm with us, though brief and it was a moment I won’t be forgetting in a hurry.

That night, I attended the annual Congressional Forum for four ‘Leadership Moment’ speeches from WIPpers and a record-breaking nine congressman. The congressman were working around their hectic voting schedule but to have so many attend was a real coup for the program. They spoke eloquently on their links to Ireland, their hopes for the future and their experience of the Washington Ireland Program. In particular, the evening honored Congressman James Walsh who is retiring following a lengthy term during which he was an avid supporter of the program. A great day ended with some epic dancing in a random bar!