Well, it’s been a day at the Senate for me. There’s something about post-recess that puts a spring in the step and life in the walls. Prior to recess, there were three legislative priorities left undecided: namely, the Housing Bill, FISA (Foreign Intelligence Security Act- or the “Enemy of the State” bill) and the latest Medicare Bill. In the first days back, it’s a big rush to get it all done. Particularly since the forthcoming election means a shortened legislative year, meaning less time to make change, less time to build a portfolio of laws to please the electorates back home. So, it’s been a dynamic day.
Firstly, Obama and Clinton are in the building. There are big votes today, and their mere presence is exciting to me. They make heads turn and fill the Senate galleries with interested spectators. Plus, you can walk the halls and see John Kerry, or Sen. Leahy or any number of crucial Senators and be awed by their mere walking down the huge, high halls.
At lunch time, I grabbed a sandwich and then headed to a Constitutional Ice Cream social which continued the awe-inspiring theme. Sen. Dodd gave Sen. Byrd a rousing introduction, calling him the supreme authority on the US constitution both contemporaneously and historically. The two men share a long history in the senate, as did their fathers. It was touching to see.
The now 91 year old Sen. Byrd is President ‘pro tempore’ of the United States Senate, which puts him third in the line of presidential succession. Therefore, this man signs every law passed by the Congress before it’s sent to the president to be signed into law or vetoed.
He spoke, slowly, precisely and with obvious passion, about the centrality of the constitution to America. As he spoke, I was put in mind of a passage in “The Audacity of Hope”, by Barack Obama. I began reading it to inspire me during my time here, and it has succeeded. Plus, it’s been endlessly useful in highlighting the procedures and day to day activities of the Senate. Obama writes humbly and I can see the steps he walks every day in the words he writes. He wrote of the day he met Sen. Byrd and how he explained the fundamental importance of the Constitution – I get the feeling that we, the audience, were treated to a similar discussion.
This year, the group was honored to meet Sen. Hillary Clinton for a brief photo-op. She’s a very striking woman of poise and inherent power. She walks with command and makes heads turn. She arrived with a small group- exactly like I’ve seen her do while walking out on stage for debates. She smiles like she does on TV. She was warm with us, though brief and it was a moment I won’t be forgetting in a hurry.
That night, I attended the annual Congressional Forum for four ‘Leadership Moment’ speeches from WIPpers and a record-breaking nine congressman. The congressman were working around their hectic voting schedule but to have so many attend was a real coup for the program. They spoke eloquently on their links to Ireland, their hopes for the future and their experience of the Washington Ireland Program. In particular, the evening honored Congressman James Walsh who is retiring following a lengthy term during which he was an avid supporter of the program.
A great day ended with some epic dancing in a random bar!
