2002 MID-TERM REPORT

By Izzy Kerszenbaum

IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow
(Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia
of the House Committee on Int'l Relations)

For the benefit of future Fellows that may read this Statement, I will try to focus on those things that may be of interest to new Fellows when searching for a position on the Hill. I am writing this with some trepidation, considering that my own thoughts and feelings regarding this experience are just mine, and that a similar experience may elicit a whole range of different reactions from someone else.  Therefore, read on, but caveat emptor!

I am unaware of a previous AAAS Fellow having served on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia (MESA Sub, for short), and certainly not an IEEE one.  Thus, this experience is new to the IEEE and certainly to the MESA Sub.  The MESA Sub itself is new in the present configuration.  Previously, for a number of years, the Middle East was combined with the European region.  As a new Congress is elected soon, there is no certainty that things will remain organized as they are now.

I am willing to risk sharing the thought that working as a Fellow in the full committee or any of its subcommittees (for example: Europe or Africa or the Human Rights subcommittee) would be on a general sense, similar to working in the MESA Sub, when it comes to the organization of the offices and the type of briefings and other activities one participates in.  However, there is a major distinction: the nature of the ongoing conflicts in the countries covered by the MESA Sub (for instance: Israel, the PA, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and others), and the critical interests the USA has in the MESA region, determines that the activities and the scope of work of the MESA Sub outdoes that of any other International Relations subcommittee.

This year has been so far an incredible ride.  The opportunity of working in the MESA Sub allowed me to participate in meetings with a large number of leaders of MESA countries.  Just to name a few: Mubarak, Kharzai, King Abdullah of Jordan, former Israeli PMs, Ehud Barak and Bibi Natanyahu, Musharaf and many ministers and foreign relations officials of MESA countries, and a long list of US present and former ambassadors and envoys to the area.  The long list of hearings organized by our subcommittee and the full committee, brought to the Hill personalities the like of, secretaries Colin Powell and Spencer Abraham, and a number of influential journalists and TV pundits.

I support the senior staff members by researching material, participating in briefings and preparing for hearings.  On occasion I draft the subcommittee Chairman’s remarks at meetings and hearings, and reply to constituents’ mail.  Most rewarding has been my participation in some projects of an apolitical nature.  For instance, one such project was securing the continuation of funding for the immunization program for the eradication of polio in the world.  I was the point-man for this effort in the International Affairs Committee, and met with a number of professional health care officials and other higher ups.  It was a valuable project achieving positive results. 

One downside that I encounter in this subcommittee is a lack of involvement with technical issues.  I can mention two topics I was involved with to certain degree, that had a technical scope: water and oil issues in the Middle East and a few trade and economic development projects. I make up for the lack of technical content, to some extent, by participating in briefings about these topics offered by the Congressional Research Service and external think-tanks, and by attending hearings and presentations by other committees. Some of the briefings, where the most interesting information is provided, are only open to those with a security clearance.  There is no hope to obtain that accreditation here, working as a Fellow. 

Also, a fair amount of important information is obtained by the staffers during trips to the Middle East and South Asia.  However, as a Fellow you are not included in those trips.

The requirements of the IEEE-USA of candidates to the Fellowship indicates that IEEE Fellows most probably will reach the Hill after having served for a number of years in positions of influence in their jobs, be it in the academy or industry.  In the subcommittee, you are at, or close to, the bottom of the pecking order, and unless you have a lot of experience in politics and policies of the ME (or other regions in other subcommittees of the Committee on International Relations), you will find yourself pretty much doing a bit-of-everything.  On a technical committee you may be able to provide much more specialized input, becoming the point-person for a project.

Last September, when I came to D.C. for the AAAS Orientation, my intentions were to join an office where I could work on energy, science and technology issues.  It came to pass that 9/11 happened during the first week of the Orientation.  That changed my perspective for the coming year on the Hill.  The expected centrality of the Middle East and South Asia to U.S. activities over the following months, and the fact I spent several years in the Middle East, were the reasons why I took a position in this subcommittee.  It was an “abnormal” year with a very atypical environment.  In a “normal” year, I might have preferred to stick to my original plan.  So, my final note is:  working in the MESA Subcommittee can be an exhilarating experience, but it is not for everyone.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - United States of America