Analysis: Against the odds, select committee aims to push Congress into the 21st century
By Paul Kane Paul Kane Senior congressional correspondent and columnist Email Bio Follow May 25 at 6:00 AM It’s one of the most important committees in Congress, yet it has only temporary office space. It has just two full-time legislative staff members. And it borrows other committees’ rooms to hold hearings.
“People want that purpose and fulfillment in doing their job. There is a longing to do it,” Rep. Tom Graves , the top Republican on the committee, said during the first joint interview the two have done.Congress has a long history of establishing select committees and blue-ribbon commissions to tackle tough issues that lawmakers are unwilling to deal with through regular order, only for these temporary panels to end their work in gridlock or see their recommendations buried in dustbins.
Rep. Dean Phillips , who ran several start-ups and restaurants in the Twin Cities region, remembers walking into the Longworth House Office Building for the first time, with his family, just before taking the oath of office. They surveyed the old mahogany, areas of clutter and the lack of collaborative workspaces.A little later, someone handed Phillips an official House pager. “Welcome to 1985,” his brother said.
Having also taught high school, she said that educators have a better grip on scheduling — so she proposed adopting a school-like schedule of A and B days, for when committees can hold hearings so that lawmakers can actually attend.
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