What is it like working in a congressional office off the Hill? I am going back home but I want to continue my career in a congressional office. Do they work on policy there, or is it just constituent services? Also, how can I find a job back in my home state while I am here in DC? — Leaving On a Jet Plane
Dear Leaving:
I don’t mean to disappoint, but all of the legislative policy action takes place in Washington. There are exceptions of course, like the guy who worked in DC for years and his wife wanted to go home. Those people often get to keep a legislative role from a district office.
Unless you’re that person, the odds of you doing actual legislative work from the district office is next to nil. Those folks do casework and take legislative calls and log them.
Don’t get me wrong, casework is important, but don’t approach seeking work in a district office thinking you’re going to write legislation. You probably won’t.
Finding a job in your home state while you’re in DC is tough. Unless you’re already wired into your state/district at work. Lots of these folks find that many people offer them jobs. Otherwise, it’s just like finding any job in a place you don’t live/work — difficult.
I always recommend getting involved in your state’s society here in Washington. It’s a good way to network.
What do members do after they retire/lose? — Worried in Missouri.
It depends on their length of service and age. Folks who’ve served a while and are old enough to get a pension probably don’t need to do anything to live comfortably. However, especially in the House, it’s the younger folk who lose their jobs before they are vested and eligible for a pension / social security.
In my experience, a lot of members become lobbyists. And who wouldn’t want to become a lobbyist? Some of them teach, others go back to the private sector, and some go to prison.
I know from personal experience that a letter to a Rep or Senator will only result in a form letter response. Is there a way to contact an office and get help to expedite payment on benefits. Many vets, including myself have had to pay late fees on rent/ various other bills because the VA gets behind on benefits. — Tall Marine
Dear Tall Marine, first thanks for your service. Asking for casework should not result in a form letter response. Maybe you wrote to Washington, D.C.? If so, that’ll delay your letter by weeks, and then only add to the delay because it needs to be sent to a casework specialist back at the district office near where you live.
Here’s what you should do: (1) Ask your veteran buddies which elected official has been most helpful in this area (you have one congressman and two senators.) Once you’ve identified who this is, (2) Call their office and ask about Veterans Administration casework. Should you come in with evidence supporting your claim of late payment for benefits? Should you fax it to them? At some point you’ll have to fill out a privacy act form, granting the office permission to try and help you. You should only contact one office. Contacting all three representatives just wastes the time of staff and won’t get you a better or faster answer. (3) Follow the lead of staff and promptly get them what they need. (4) Wait. It sucks to wait, and it sucks to behind on your bills. Periodically check in with your caseworker, but remember, once they hit send or mail your inquiry along, all they can do is wait, too.
Personal aside: You should consider what banking solutions are best. As a veteran, you can join USAA or Navy Federal. These institutions tend to offer small personal lines of credit like the Congressional Credit Unions do. As a young staffer, my first check went to rent and I would have to live on this credit line until my second check came along, and I’d immediately pay off the credit line. This may be of use to you.
I’ve always been paranoid about inter-hill dating, because it seems like a time bomb just waiting to go off. Oops, I just outed myself as a horrible cynic. Do you have any stories (from a friend, or a friend of a friend – of course not personally identifying…) of a Hill relationship imploding in a dramatic, public way? — Esteban the Terrible
You? A cynic? Dios mio, Esteban. Despite all of the evidence that shitting where you eat is a bad thing, I personally have never heard of crazy relationship implosions that are dramatic or public. Which isn’t to say they don’t exist, I am sure such stories do exist.
I know one Republican Senator (who loves tweeting) has staff that get married all the time. To each other. Lots of these marriages — I am told — survive, but some have not. That’s probably awkward.
I think your cynicism is a good instinct to follow here. Find a meeting planner with an interest in politics. Or find a Iowa farm girl who doesn’t know the difference between UDC and the Electoral College. Just don’t date fellow hill staffers.
The post Private Life, VA Benefits, Interoffice Dating and More appeared first on Cloture Club.
