This summer I interned in the Office of Congressman Chris Pappas in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington D.C. As a rising U3 Political Science major and an American student, I have always been fascinated by the American political process. Although I do not have a clear picture of what I will pursue post-graduation, I know that I would like to be involved in American politics in some form. My internship this summer has certainly prepared me for my future by improving my marketable skills, such as writing, and expanding my network. Furthermore, I am now aware of the roles and responsibilities of various members on a political staff.
The Office of Congressman Chris Pappas is a standard Congressional office. Elected in 2018 and serving his first term, Congressman Pappas is a freshman Democrat representing Central and Eastern New Hampshire. He serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and is the Chairman of the latter committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Congressman Chris Pappas’ Washington D.C. office largely consists of legislative personnel that dive deep into policy and shape the Congressman’s agenda. They translate constituent concerns into legislation and meet with different stakeholders to learn about various issues.
As an intern, my responsibilities were wide-ranging. Primarily, I was the public “face” of the office. I greeted visitors, recorded constituent opinions, and gave tours to constituents. Additionally, I was often tasked with responding to constituent concerns. Every day our office would receive countless mail, emails, and phone calls from constituents expressing their views on varying issues. It was our office’s policy to respond to as many opinions as possible. Since many constituents shared similar concerns, I was tasked with writing general response letters. For example, when constituents wrote to us concerned about unfair business practices in international commercial aviation, I wrote a response supporting fair competition in the industry on behalf of the Congressman. Furthermore, I often responded to specific concerns from young students in the district. One of my favorite tasks was crafting a response on behalf of the Congressman to a young student concerned about rising football fees and expensive equipment. I was able to write creatively and address serious local funding issues in my response. My wide range of tasks greatly improved my political skills. Whether writing responses that balanced substance without committing the Congressman to a policy, handling angry phone calls, or addressing the needs of tour groups, I improved important writing and interpersonal skills in my internship.
While I enjoyed some of the work I was doing, the highlights of my internship were observing the process. During my first week, the House of Representatives was debating amendments to the lengthy National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), that appropriates funds to the Department of Defense. Congressman Pappas had an amendment regulating PFAS chemicals, a contaminant of drinking water found on many former military bases, that was not supported by the chemical industry. As a result, the amendment was in danger of being discarded. On the days leading up to the vote, our office was “whipping” votes. Most of the staff was calling other offices to persuade their Members to sign on to our legislation. Still uncertain of the outcome, I sat in the House Gallery as Congressman Pappas introduced the amendment and defended it against his Republican colleagues. After the presiding officer called for a voice vote and the Republicans did not demand a recorded vote, the amendment passed, and I observed as Congressman Pappas was congratulated by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on the House Floor. The whole week was a reminder of the important work the Congressman and his staff were doing despite the common belief that Congress does not pass any legislation.
My experience working on Capitol Hill was very helpful in shaping my future career goals and improving the skills necessary to achieve them. Through my internship and my observations of the office, I realized that I do not want to be a legislative policy expert. Since I find more enjoyment in meeting people and creating personal connections, I found that I would much rather have a role on the Congressman’s political or communications teams. Additionally, simply being on Capitol Hill allowed me to meet various political staffers that offered me useful career advice.
My internship experience could not have been possible without the support of the Judy Patton Hamilton Internship Award. Washington D.C. is a very expensive city and my funds helped to cover housing and transportation throughout my two months. Thank you for allowing me to pursue such an exciting and informative internship.
