ARCHIVE
Capitol Hill Workshop
The 107th Congress - Archive Edition
May 1-3, 2001
The Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Defense Agencies Present:
The FY2001 Public Policy Seminar Series
Capitol Hill Workshop:
The New Congress, The Old Politics, and The Contemporary Political Landscape
Held at The Capitol Hill Club.
Overview:
The Capitol Hill Workshop transcends the minutiae of Congressional procedures by focusing on current public policy debates of specific interest to senior federal managers and executives from the Department of Defense. The Capitol Hill Workshop will focus on the 107th Congress as it considers today's public policy issues at home and abroad. Not only will the workshop address the critical procedural, political, and policy issues that Congress faces in its first session with President George W. Bush, but it will also examine the broader social, economic, and international forces that affect those issues and the policy solutions that Congress must forge.
Program:
The clash of opposing ideological forces, ever present in a democracy, is seen most vividly on Capitol Hill. Congress is the sounding board upon which viewpoints reverberate - decisions are made and decisions are avoided. Under these circumstances, it is understandable that Congress, so representative of the diversity and contradictions of American life, would emerge as the foremost arena for intense and often divisive debate on domestic and international priorities.
On Capitol Hill, national politics and defense policies have become the focal point for a range of diverse and, at times, conflicting pressures. We have entered a new Information Age, and there is no turning back. Yet in the midst of these rapid social and technological changes, Congress unfortunately represents partisan bickering and "gridlock" to the American public.
We are experiencing a time where a global economy is creating and destroying an unprecedented number of jobs, where social mores are being radically transformed, and where the American role in world affairs is less clear than at any time since the end of World War II. Inevitably, the range and limits of U.S. foreign policy, the structure of our defense forces, and the appropriate amount of domestic spending are all being vigorously debated in Congress.
The workshop will examine the national security issues, from a Congressional perspective, associated with technology, international trade, and information transfer. We will also explore alliance-building and maintenance in the post Cold War era, new threats to U.S. interests and world peace, and the debate over the most appropriate roles of the nation's military in today's international order.
The even partisan division of the legislature and the extraordinarily contentious Presidential election will surely affect Presidential-Congressional relations in the days and months ahead. The workshop will explore these ongoing relationships and their impact on public policy - in general, and defense policy - in particular.
Speakers & Topics
Leadership and the Balance of Power: Implications of a Global Economy: Steven Roberts, Syndicated Columnist, New York Daily News; Guest Commentator, CNN Late Edition
Where is U.S. Foreign Policy Going? National Security Issues and Partisan Politics: Mark Lowenthal, Former Staff Director, House Intelligence Committee; Former Senior Specialist in U.S. Foreign Policy, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress
International Politics and Policy in a Changing World: Ambassador Edward L. Peck, Former Chief of Mission, Baghdad, Iraq; Executive Secretary, American Academy of Diplomacy; President, Foreign Services International
Lobbying Congress: The Real Story About Money and Politics: Cleta Deatherage Mitchell, Director, Attorney and Partner, Sullivan & Mitchell; Former Director of Policy Initiatives, National Federation of Independent Business; Former Oklahoma State Legislator
Political Campaigns: How to Get Elected: Jay Bryant, Political Consultant; Former Producer of At Issue, CNBC; Former Assistant to the Governor of Illinois
The 107th Congress and the Bush Administration: Walter Olescek, Senior Specialist in American Government, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress; Author of Congress and Its Members
The Supreme Court: What Will the Next Four years Bring? Jeffrey Rosen, Legal Affairs Editor, The New Republic; Associate Professor, George Washington University Law School
U.S. National Security and Russia: The New Age of Nationalism and What It Means to the United States: Paul Goble, Communications Director, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty; Former Special Advisor on Soviet Nationality Problems and Baltic Affairs, U.S. Department of State
The Politics of Surplus: Government Spending, Productivity, and the New Budget: Allen Schick, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution; Author of Congress and Money and Crisis in the Budget Process
The Constitution and Representation in Government: The American Experience: Mark Talisman, Washington Consultant on International Affairs; Senior Lecturer, JFK School of Government and Boston University Washington Semester Program
The Globalization of Economic and Financial Life: American Institutions at Risk: Jack Blum, Attorney; Former Special Counsel, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations; Former President, National Consumer League
Defense Authorization and the Appropriation Process: Who Has the Power on the Hill and Why: Stephen Daggett, Specialist in National Defense, Congressional Research Service; Author of The Economy, The Defense Budget, and National Security
The Role of Staff and the Committee on Appropriations: Sid Ashworth, Professional Staff member, Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittees on Defense and Military Construction
