Andrew Stumbo, a TWC intern from the University of Iowa, was given the opportunity to meet U.S. Senator, Tom Harkin (D-IA) and his legislative staff. The meeting took place at Senator Harkin’s weekly constituents breakfast in the Russell Senate Office Building.
Andrew was given the opportunity to speak with Senator Harkin and members of his staff about various concerns and policy issues concerning the future of Obama’s Health Care Plan and the possible ruling of it’s constitutionality by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Preparing to meet with the Senator
When asked about the visit, Andrew felt “the preparation research I did helped me better understand how Senator Harkin stands on a number of political issues. This knowledge helped me craft thoughtful questions and in return, I received informational and specific answers.” He also felt that the “dialogue connected well with my civic engagement project because both have made me more familiar with how the government works and how much it truly takes to get a law passed and into action.”
Andrew is currently participating in the Veteran’s Affairs civic engagement project, which has had a number of speakers who have discussed laws involving veteran’s benefits and compensation. The project participants have been lobbying for more laws that benefit war veterans.
Student who participated in the visit
Andrew Stumbo-University of Iowa
[View photos of the spring 2012 PPDCH album on our Flickr channel] [1]
Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill (PPDCH), sponsored by Verizon Wireless, provide students with the unique opportunity to meet and interact with members of the Senate or House of Representatives representing their state or congressional district. This is one component of The Washington Center's internship program [2].
