Looking back on The Two Congresses

This blog, along with the discussions had in class and my experience interning for Senator Casey during the course of the semester all contributed heavily to my developing knowledge and opinions regarding congress and the workings of congress. Throughout the course of the semester, I frequented websites like Roll Call and The Hill, which allowed me to be much more up to date on what was going on in our government than I had been previously. I was able to find out more about legislation that I cared about, such as the Dark Act, both through researching and reading about, and also through my experience with constituents of Senator Casey in his office.

Like many of my classmates, the events revolving around Boehner's resignation and Senator Paul Ryan becoming the new speaker was intriguing to learn about, and I spent a great deal of my time within this blog learning about many perspectives and situations regarding the Speakership. It was very interesting to develop a thorough understanding of politics within parties, as I had come into the class more used to trying to explain things through a bipartisan lens, but was able to learn that there are stark differences within each party as well, which can lead to congressional gridlock, as well as rare events like the resignation of the Speaker of the House. Instead of trying to concentrate however on the big news stories surrounding congress, I tried to be more broad in my reading, and I think I was able to gain a more developed understanding of congress and the way it acts today by doing so. The class as whole shined light on how congress developed over time, becoming more about the parties than the individuals, and an event like the resignation of John Boehner was a huge example of just that.

Further, it was fitting that I took this class at the same time as having an internship with Senator Casey because I was able to see many of the things we discussed in class about how politicians act and deal with their constituents first hand. I even became a part of that process, being a liaison for the Senator when people would call asking about his positions on issues such as the Iran Nuclear Deal, or Planned Parenthood. At the same time, I was also able to gain an understanding of what the constituents in Pennsylvania cared about, or called to discuss with the office. Developing this knowledge, I truly learned how difficult and time consuming being a congressman or senator would be. Senator's and Congressman all over the country frequently have to balance their time in DC with their time at home with their constituents, trying their best to represent their state as best as they can whilst also making an impact politically in an effort to better the country. The newer era of congress that makes parties more important than the individual has thrown a curveball into that situation, making these senators and congressman also have to be careful in their states and in DC not to upset the party agenda too much, in fear they may lose support from their own party, and in the long run lose election. It was a very rewarding experience to be able to connect the class, my research for this blog, and my experience as a legislative staff intern, as I learned a lot more than I ever could have imagined.