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

Steve E. Watkins, Ph.D.

August 2004

As an IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow in the office of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (CA 46th), I serve as the legislative assistant with responsibility for science and technology issues related to the district, legislation, and committee activities. The office has hosted several science fellows over the years and provides a satisfying work environment. Job responsibilities are well defined, assignments are non-trivial, and staff colleagues are team oriented. A fellow is expected to take initiative, to communicate well, and to learn on the job. The congressman’s motto of “Fighting for freedom and having fun” reflects his preference for activism and the atmosphere of the office.

The fellowship activities have involved a great variety of technical issues and legislative functions. Unlike some of my current and past fellow colleagues, my assignments have tended to be multiple short-term projects rather than a few long-term projects. Many of these activities are listed below.

• Researched S&T topics for speeches, district issues, and opinion editorials.
• Represented the office with lobbyists and constituents.
• Evaluated the technical merit of multiple proposals for appropriation requests.
• Drafted formal requests for information to various agencies.
• Researched and developed a wildfire-related amendment for H.R. 4107 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Reauthorization Act of 2004.
• Drafted a “Dear Colleague” letter and managed the co-sponsor list for H.R. 4544 George R. Brown Near-Earth Object Survey Act.
• Coordinated a well-attended public roundtable discussion on Commercial Space: America’s Vision for Space Exploration involving thirteen leaders from industry and government. The July 13th meeting was sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics in cooperation with the Rohrabacher office.
• Followed hearings, briefings, and legislation related to the assigned committees, various S&T caucuses, Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), and other topics.

In addition to the office activities, I have communicated my fellowship experiences and perspectives to students. I gave a seminar for the 2004 class of the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) and the keynote address at the 2004 Undergraduate Research Symposium at Adelphi University in New York. I plan to do other presentations both during and after my fellowship year to educate students about public policy and policy-related opportunities.

I offer a few logistical observations for future fellows:

(1) I consider a January start date, as recommended by the IEEE-USA, to be preferable rather than the September date used by most other fellows programs. Fellows can experience, and understand, the legislative process better during a complete session and can contribute more to their office by following assignments to a conclusion.

(2) I am pleased with my housing choice that provides walking access to the public rail system. The Metro is a convenient and reliable option for commuting. Traffic in the District can be difficult.

(3) I benefited from early conversations with prior fellows and others who had work experience in Washington, D.C. The orientation and placement process progresses quickly; informed advice is very useful. The planned one-half day orientation by IEEE-USA and other engineering societies should be a valuable supplement to the AAAS orientation.

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