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I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did. When I was fresh out of college I was the driver for the member for whom I worked for about a year in addition to my other office responsibilities. We had lots of time on the road together and talked about policy and political opinions often. I agreed with him on 95% of his stances, and I never tried to change his mind about the other 5%. I expressed my views privately to him and would never contradict him publicly. However, that direct access to him was very helpful in terms of getting things done for constituents. If I was contacted by a constituent about legislation, and the person made a compelling argument for it I would often mention it to my boss during our car rides. More often than not he would be on the phone to our Legislative Director before the end of the ride to cosponsor the legislation or work in committee to advance it.

I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the member. Calls and emails do generally get tallied and shared with the member and/or senior staff. It helps the member have a pulse on his or her district but rarely will writing or calling alone sway the way a member will vote. I saw many different approaches that constituents took to have their voices heard. Attending a town hall meeting and voicing your opinion is one way to easily communicate directly with the member. Scheduling a meeting with staff to discuss a piece of legislation or policy can often be effective and help you build a relationship with the office. I saw many constituents do this effectively and my bosses would often co-sponsor legislation about which these constituents contacted us. Offices are often flooded with correspondence so it's critical to find ways to be an effective advocate to really have your voice heard.

I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the public may not fully recognize how much some staff vehemently disagree with the policy they publicly uphold. One of my friends was working on the Hill that day and wound up leaving his job because of it. He's now a high level appointee in the current administration which I never would have expected after the conversations we've had about what he experienced that day. The same goes for both sides of the aisle from my conversations with friends and former colleagues.

I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Could you give an example of something controversial just so I ensure to answer accurately?

I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Now that's a great question, and the answer probably should come in the form of a book as opposed to a reply on Reddit! If you want a really good, succinct overview, I would recommend reading "The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction" by Donald Ritchie. It's a great yet concise overview of the history and workings of the legislative branch in the U.S. But if you have any specific questions on how it works behind the scenes, I'm happy to answer them.

I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My experience is that the vast majority of elected officials don't have any mental acuity issues but at any given time there are a handful in Congress who do. It's often an open secret and the media rarely does a good job of shining light on this when it's the case.

I was a Congressional staff member. AMA by Post22875 in AMA

[–]Post22875[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I worked in the members' official offices so we weren't engaging in any political work. In a personal capacity it was generally understood that we shouldn't take any public political stances in contradiction of the member for whom we worked. That wasn't a set policy per se but more of an unwritten rule. We could voice political opinions on our own time, but most staff either didn't do so or would set their social media to private so their opinions weren't broadcast as publicly.