Mid-Year Report to the IEEE-USA
Government Fellowship Committee

August 31, 2001

It is hard to believe that something that seemed so strange only a few months back could somehow seem normal, even commonplace: Get on the train to DC at the Virginia commuter rail station, ride for an hour at an average speed of 20 miles per hour, then walk for three blocks to the Rayburn house office building. Suddenly however, I spot the Capitol Dome through squinted, sandy eyes - a towering cast-iron edifice and symbol of the greatest democracy the world has ever known. Then the commonplace evaporates with the morning mist and I realize that I am part of a great experiment, one that is still continuing: Can a people really govern themselves? Can "freedom not perish from the earth" and the principles of "liberty and justice for all" really work? Will the vision of our Constitution's framers, guided by the hand of Providence, remain relevant in the 21st century? Only time will tell. But for now, I unlock the heavy oak office door, pick up a 20 pound bundle of constituent mail, un-forward the phone, and make a big pot of joe. Let the day begin.

My boss, Congressman Joe Barton, from the 6th District of Texas is a self styled individual from a self-styled state -- and proud of it. The district is a gerrymandered smattering of land between Dallas and Fort Worth which includes the DFW Airport and the Six Flags Over Texas theme park. I chose this office since the Congressman (or "Cong" as we affectionately call him) is Chairman of the powerful House Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee of the even more powerful House Energy and Commerce committee. I figured that since this was going to be the "Energy Congress," my background in energy and nuclear power might find a good fit in this office. I was not to be disappointed.

Right out of the chute, I set to work helping to prepare for a Subcommittee hearing on the future of nuclear power. The hearing turned out to be a veritable love fest of nuclear power revivalists with testimonies provided from major utilities, nuclear interest groups, Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That is, except for the lone, obligatory, so-called environmentalist decrying the dangers of nuclear power with twisted facts and arguments. However, her tenacity earned my respect that day, and made me thankful that we live in a great country where dissenting voices can be heard.

In addition to nuclear issues, I am responsible for the House Science Committee activities. In that role I monitor legislation, prepare briefings for the Congressman, attend hearings, and provide my opinion on relevant issues. Some hearings are very technical and monotone - actually boring - but others can be quite engaging. On one occasion during a hearing on the future of space exploration, I was able to meet and talk with Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon. We had an engaging talk about the space program, nuclear power sources for spacecraft, and the future of the International Space Station.

Working in a congressional office is unlike anything else I have previously experienced. I am expected to have a working knowledge of many subjects and to be able to brief the Congressman on those issues -- sometimes on very short notice. In addition to the energy issues I mentioned, I have also been given responsibility for all social, education, and housing issues. These issues required me to be heavily involved in H.R. 1, the President's "No Child Left Behind" educational initiative; H.R. 7, the "Faith Based Community Solutions Act"; and H.R. 2505, the "Human Cloning Prohibition Act"-- all of which passed in the House so far this year. I also get to meet with constituents concerning these matters and answer a ton of mail from little old ladies down in Texas.

The accomplishment of which I am most proud, however, is the passage of a major piece of the President's National Energy Policy: the "Securing America's Future Energy Act" (SAFE). This bill encourages conservation, promotes the increased use of renewable energy, and expands energy supplies. In addition, it encourages the use of technology to improve the environmental performance of existing and new power plants. I was privileged to provide technical support for this bill in the areas of nuclear technology, global warming and CO2, clean coal research, oil drilling in ANWR, CAFE standards for cars and trucks, and a host of other techno-political issues. This bill took on a life of its own as it grew from a draft in the Subcommittee, to a larger consolidation of bills in the Committee, to a final bill approved by the House of Representatives. It has been a great pleasure working on the Hill so far this year. Many thanks to IEEE-USA, the IEEE Congressional Fellows Committee, and Entergy for making all of this possible.

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