Part of my job as an intern in the House of Representatives is to spend time attending the many briefings and policy talks that are given every day on the Hill. These briefings cover every topic imaginable, and are given in all different styles and formats. Generally I will get asked by a staffer from our office to attend one and then report back with a brief memo highlighting the important details for them or any other staff who might need some quick info on that issue. Since today is a relatively slow day, I thought I would highlight two of the more interesting talks I have been to thus far.
Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to listen to a panel on antibiotic-resistant diseases, highlighted by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Thomas Frieden. I have a minor in public health, so this topic was already of particular interest to me. I spent a month in India this past May participating in a global public health study abroad program, and while there wrote a term paper on the effects of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in India. It was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to hear one of the world's most prestigious public health individuals speak on a topic of such high interest to me. I won't bore you with all the public health details, but Dr. Frieden did a great job of highlighting the need for further funding and research to fight off drug resistant diseases. Another interesting thing that I noticed during this talk was how odd it is when members of Congress show up to speak. They kind of show up randomly throughout the presentation, and then get up and give a broad speech for 5 minutes with information you already learned. It is all political posturing, but people seem to enjoy it anyway.
The most interesting/famous person I heard speak was Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, at the Newseum. The Newseum is a fantastic facility all in itself, definitely worth the price of admission (or free if you go with WAIP like I did). Zuckerberg was there for a conversation with the editor in chief of The Atlantic. He answered questions about the future of Facebook, his personal life, his political views, immigration, government efficacy, and several other topics. I really enjoyed his talk and came away feeling much differently than I did when I saw The Social Network. He was thoughtful with his answers, and gave nothing away about his political beliefs. However, watching him speak was like watching capitalism in action. The guy is a force. He is a tireless worker, and an example of the ingenuity that has always led American business. My favorite anecdote that he gave came when he was asked about the extremely partisan nature of Congress. Zuckerberg pointed out that the country is very divided on many issues and that maybe the amount that is getting done right now is what the people really want done. Granted, he said this before the shutdown, but I think what he said rings true. He sounded like a mini-James Madison, channeling Federalist No. 10. This talk was also my first insight into the privileges that come with having a congressional ID. Tara (the other intern in my office from Leeds University in the UK) and I simply walked up to this closed event and said we were there for our office. They took us right in and gave us a seat near the front. Here is a picture she took.
Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to listen to a panel on antibiotic-resistant diseases, highlighted by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Thomas Frieden. I have a minor in public health, so this topic was already of particular interest to me. I spent a month in India this past May participating in a global public health study abroad program, and while there wrote a term paper on the effects of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in India. It was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to hear one of the world's most prestigious public health individuals speak on a topic of such high interest to me. I won't bore you with all the public health details, but Dr. Frieden did a great job of highlighting the need for further funding and research to fight off drug resistant diseases. Another interesting thing that I noticed during this talk was how odd it is when members of Congress show up to speak. They kind of show up randomly throughout the presentation, and then get up and give a broad speech for 5 minutes with information you already learned. It is all political posturing, but people seem to enjoy it anyway.
The most interesting/famous person I heard speak was Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, at the Newseum. The Newseum is a fantastic facility all in itself, definitely worth the price of admission (or free if you go with WAIP like I did). Zuckerberg was there for a conversation with the editor in chief of The Atlantic. He answered questions about the future of Facebook, his personal life, his political views, immigration, government efficacy, and several other topics. I really enjoyed his talk and came away feeling much differently than I did when I saw The Social Network. He was thoughtful with his answers, and gave nothing away about his political beliefs. However, watching him speak was like watching capitalism in action. The guy is a force. He is a tireless worker, and an example of the ingenuity that has always led American business. My favorite anecdote that he gave came when he was asked about the extremely partisan nature of Congress. Zuckerberg pointed out that the country is very divided on many issues and that maybe the amount that is getting done right now is what the people really want done. Granted, he said this before the shutdown, but I think what he said rings true. He sounded like a mini-James Madison, channeling Federalist No. 10. This talk was also my first insight into the privileges that come with having a congressional ID. Tara (the other intern in my office from Leeds University in the UK) and I simply walked up to this closed event and said we were there for our office. They took us right in and gave us a seat near the front. Here is a picture she took.
That seems like enough for now.
Tom McGraw
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