Impressive Congressional Members

Public approval of Congress is at an all time low at 13%. The majority of Americans will trash the institution. And perhaps it is true that the institution is not legislating but politics may be to blame for overwhelming the legislative agenda. Individually, there are some top quality people in Congress, in both the House and Senate and on both sides of the aisle. Virtually everyone I have met wants to do what they believe is right for the country. Their motivations are in the right place. I do not like the stress of working with this Congress, but I am enjoying working with many of these Members. They are quality individuals.

I recently met with Kirsten Gillibrand, the Senator from New York. I don’t know her well but I spent about an hour with her this past week. She is in Hillary Clinton's seat. Gillibrand has the potential to be a superstar. This was the first time I spent with her and was quite impressed.

I spent the weekend with a Democratic Senator I am also just getting to know in his home state. The brain power of some of the new Democratic Senators elected in 2006 and 2008 continues to impress me. Sheldon Whitehouse from Rhode Island. Bob Casey from Pennsylvaina. Ben Cardin of Maryland. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Jeff Merkley from Oregon. Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota. These are really talented Democratic Senators. A little less flashy than those elected in the past. A little less well known. But the intellect, the wattage of these folks is impressive. I mean that. I am impressed with the quality of Democratic Senators.

I have also been around a number of impressive Republican Senators as well. One that stands out is Kelly Ayotte from New Hampshire. I will also be spending time with one of my favorites Lamar Alexander in the upcoming future.

Senator Charles Percy

Walter Mondale’s and Edward Kennedy’s daughters passed away last week. Former Senator Chuck Percy also died last week. Chuck Percy was first elected to Congress in 1966 and served until 1985. He was a quality individual. He was one of the moderate Republicans who helped save much of the domestic agenda under attack during the 1980s. The loss of Senator Percy reminds me of how I miss moderate Republicans.

NCAF’s summit leadership meeting is in a couple of weeks. There will be some surprise guests in attendance. We will talk about where we are at, how we are dealing with our current situation, and our game plan for moving forward. Participants have to be prepared to work late on that Monday night. I hope states are sending their best and brightest. This is going to be an important meeting for our future.

The Next 90 Days are Critical

Yesterday marked the beginning of am extremely important period for us. Labor HHS Appropriations began their mark ups. The next three months will be filled with regular appropriations, possibly continuing resolutions, and the super committee work on deficit reduction. These next 90 days are critical. I know some House Members, particularly newly elected tea party affiliated Members, want to achieve deep cuts in spending. This means there are a few things for us in play. The most difficult challenge we face is right now as I expect very little will get done in Congress in 2012.

Weatherization is pulling me in many different directions right now. The Senate number essentially freezes the funding. The politics of Weatherization are difficult. We continue to suffer from the stimulus. The number of states that have carryover, unspent money is presenting a tricky political problem. In addition, we have Democrats who argue there is so much money already in the system that there is no need to put more in. Lastly, we are not getting reinforcement from the White House Administration showing their support for the program. Weatherization is now a top risk priority, almost equal to CSBG. It is going to take great effort to figure this out.

Tidal Wave of Frustration

I have been traveling and talking with many groups and members around the country. More than ever before, I feel a tidal wave approaching in the form of electoral politics. I have never seen the country so divided or so worried about the future. As I run across the country, I see there is no confidence left in America. It is troubling. The whole country seems to be in a bad mood. (I believe I sat next to the person in the worst mood in the country on one of my recent long distance flights.) The country is nervous, unhappy. They want relief. They want change. They want economic security. I hear people say they want to see nonpartisan or bipartisan efforts. They say they want a job. And, they say they are not hearing or seeing that anyone in Washington cares. These are combustible times politically.

Congressionally, I think we are in for a very long year. Everybody has told me they plan on doing their holiday shopping in DC with the thought that Congress will be in session until the 22nd or 23rd of December. People are engrossed in the super committee, and every lobbyist in Washington is looking for ways to influence its members. I personally have a lot of confidence in the integrity and quality of the members, both Democrats and Republicans. I think they will try to do what is right. Many of them, on both sides of the aisle, have good relationships with our agencies. We will keep track of what the super committee does, but the optimist side of me has more confidence in committee members than most within the lobbyist circles.

More Twists and Turns in this Year Long Debate

Poverty numbers came out this week and they confirm what every CAP in the country has been reporting. Business is booming. The demand for CAP services and CAP assistance is at a record high. It makes me angry that the most trusted institution in most communities – the institution that is involved in the daily lives of low income members of every community – is being threatened with either drastic cuts or elimination. It is a time that absolutely cries out for greater federal investment. I am curious to hear the congressional response to these latest numbers. I want to hear their response at a time when the Administration has proposed cuts to CSBG and CAP agencies. I am curious to talk with Republicans and Democrats alike. Tomorrow, I have a full day including dinner with House Democratic leadership. I will be at a policy retreat with Senators Friday. I look forward to hearing their reactions.

Related to these efforts, I have been examining the Administration’s performance with competitive grants. Some members of Congress suggested I look at two programs in particular, as examples. One is the Social Innovation Fund. The other is the Race to the Top initiative. My analysis to date leads me to conclude that the track records of these programs do not prove that they work. An investigation by the IG into the Social Innovation Fund suggested the program was influenced by political favoritism.

What I am finding is that, be they friend or foe of Community Action, Congressional members recognize that CSBG guarantees dollars are made available to every community in the country to address poverty. In these rough economic times, members are thankful for this aspect of CSBG.