A Calm Before the Storm

One of the Washington rituals I look forward to is the welcome and thank you receptions many House members host on the first day of the new Congress. It's an opportunity to catch up with some members I have not seen since early December, talk about the holidays, what each of us is reading, and the latest baseball news. More importantly, it is an opportunity to share with them my legislative priorities for the new Congress and to learn firsthand what their goals and interests are for the upcoming year.

But this year, I had mixed feelings about Tuesdays receptions, for some obvious reasons and some not so obvious. Almost immediately, I noticed that most of the open house receptions, but not exclusively, were being held by Republican House members. The contrast between the smiling, optimistic Republican House member and the somber Democratic member was striking. House Republicans are clearly looking forward to the 2017 legislative year in eager anticipation - their Democratic counterparts, with somber determination.

My second observation was how crowded these events were. Nearly all of the receptions took place in the member's office. When I walked into the first event on my schedule, I was immediately struck by how crowded the office was. One day after House Republicans voted to kneecap the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, and a couple hours before they removed the amendment after public pressure, the House offices were filled with people. Wall to wall people. Wall to wall lobbyists.

All of them wanting and expecting to get something for their client, their cause, from the target audience, the member. Hundreds of lobbyists competing for attention, commitment and leadership from each and every member. Hundreds of lobbyists competing with me. It was sobering.

I had a strange feeling inside of me all day. I could not quite place it. It wasn't fear of the competition. I like and believe in who I represent and how I represent our agencies. Instead it was an awareness that nearly every lobbyist I talked to or watched had supreme confidence that their cause, their company, their client, would come out on top this year.

Washington may crumble, the legislative process may continue to be frozen, budgets slashed, but somehow their particular "special interest" will come out on top. Through power and influence, not necessarily our national interests, once again they would prevail.

I left the Hill that night thinking about their smugness, their self-righteousness. I wondered if behind their easy smiles of assuredness there wasn't worry and anxiety about the year unfolding. There had to be. I have no doubts (or fears) about how different this year will be for everyone involved with Congress. The hours will be long and hard. I don't share many of the other lobbyists smugness about the easy victories ahead. But, I wouldn't trade places with them for all the supreme confidence in the world. I love who I represent.