Law & Politics

Joined at the hip.

My experience in Washington this summer was fascinating. I had a different look at an internship usually taken by college-aged students, and correspondingly had a much deeper appreciation for what I was participating in. Indeed, being a Baylor Lawyer, I was very much impressed by the fact that I was a part of the process of making laws. I played a small role, but am very grateful for the staff in my office giving me strong projects to work on and learn as much as I could by seeing and doing.

As it turned out, Baylor Law School and the Bush School of Government and Public Service were a fantastic background combination to take to the Hill. My trial-lawyer side loved the day to day battles between the Democrats and the Republicans, and the steady advocacy process that everyone is engaged in. Taking positions on issues, and fighting for those positions so that they will become the law of the land. I live for that kind of stuff. On the other hand, my policy-wonk background at the Bush School was essential when I needed to quickly get up to speed on issues like organizational coordination in U.S. foreign assistance programs for spreading Democracy and human rights, an extension on a cancer treatment/prevention program for minority medicare patients, or a bill that would significantly help the US Postal Service save money year to year and have more financial flexibility.

Policy, Politics, and Laws. Some would argue that politics is an impediment between good policy and good laws. I would argue, however, that we are all human and life is political. As we learned in our leadership course last year, there is a political frame to society that must be appreciated and understood if anything involving a group of people is going to be accomplished. Politics is necessary to the makeup of an orderly society because it is truly the only way for the people to have a voice in their government. I'm not going to stand here and say that our government is perfect by any means, and that there aren't things we could do better, but I do believe that we still have the greatest and most responsive government the world has ever seen.

It was an interesting time to be on the Hill. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the moratorium on offshore-drilling were issues that we were very involved with at the Energy and Commerce Committee. The House had passed unemployment benefit extension, but the Senate was holding it hostage, and many honest Americans who were actively trying to find work were feeling squeezed. The Capitol was somber the week Sen. Robert Byrd passed away, as we had lost a great man and public servant; yet buzzing with excitement the week Elena Kagan faced the Senate Judiciary Commitee for her Supreme Court confirmation hearing. Wall Street Reform passed, BP's CEO was confronted by the angry voice of the American public, and Rep. Anthony Weiner showed up and kicked ass on the House floor when Republicans were trying to block health care benefits for Sept. 11th first responders who had been exposed to asbestos and other hazardous conditions while meeting one of the great challenges our nation has ever faced.

As I ease back into the grad student life for what will be my final year in school, I can't help but look at the courses I'm taking through a Congressional lense. I certainly appreciate the policy and law-making process a lot more. As far as politics getting in the way of good policy becoming good law, it is more appropriate to say that good policy in the hands of good advocates does become good law. That is our charge as public servants in the legislative branch: to recognize good policy, and be able to fight for it.