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New Man in Washington:
When Peter Welch raised his right hand on Jan 4 to be sworn in as Vermont's lone Congressman by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, it signaled a significant event for both Welch and Vermont. It marked the first time in 16 years that Vermont has sent a new face to represent its interests in the capitol corridors. For Welch, his advancement from the Vermont Senate to Washington meant a never-ending stream of things to do. He had to set up two offices- one in Washington and one in Vermont. He had to find and hire a staff experienced both in the ways of Washington and Vermont. He had to find out who's who in the House and establish good relations with them. He had to find a place to live. Sitting down with Welch, it is easy to see how enthusiastic he is about his new job representing Vermont, and about the goals he has for the next two years. .Upon entering his modest office space, visitors are greeted by familiar signs of home and bright young aides. Welch has the state flag displayed prominently at the door, as well as Vermont details inside. Lamps from Hubbardton Forge adorn the desks, and books about Vermont line the shelves. His office in Washington has eight staff members, shoehorned into their allotted space: 863 square feet to be exact. For the key position of chief of staff, Welch picked Bob Rogan, an experienced political hand who has spent time in Washington working for two U.S. Senators, as well as in Vermont working as Howard Dean's presidential campaign manager. Rogan's Vermont credentials also include serving as vice president of Green Mountain Power and of CVPS. Rogan, equated the task of starting up the office to starting a small business, but from afar. Welch had to obtain office space, find the right staff, get the office furnished, and do all the normal things someone might do before opening for business. As a freshman Representative, Welch is allocated a small staff, but he noted he can also draw on the help of his policy advisors both official and unofficial, as well as the committee staff available to help inform his opinions, as well as the Congressional Research Service, a non-partisan research arm of Congress that churns out some of the best papers in town. . Help from Leahy Welch also expressed gratitude to Vermont's senior Senator Pat Leahy and his staff who, he said, have been extremely helpful in setting up Welch's office, as well as advising him on policy matters throughout the campaign and into his term of office. Welch said he also had help in the little matter of finding a place to live. After a great deal of hair pulling, and a few nightmares of having to sleep in a tent on the grounds of the Capitol, the Congressman found a rental on Capitol Hill from a longtime staffer of former Senator Jim Jeffords. Last week, the Congressman also set up an office in Burlington, with five staff members to assist Vermonters in navigating the federal government. Vermonters can call toll-free at (888) 605-7270. The Vermont staff will be traveling around the state as needed to help Vermonters access their congressman and their government more easily, he pledged. Welch noted that his staff includes two Orange County natives. Claire Benjamin, a UVM grad and Topsham native, is serving as a legislative aide, and Molly Gray, also a UVM grad, who hails from South Newbury, is Welch's scheduler and executive assistant. All but one of his staff have spent substantial time in Vermont before coming to work for the Congressman, he noted. The Washington office welcomes opinions from Vermonters on legislative issues, and for people visiting Washington, Welch's office will be happy to arrange Capitol tours. Peter Jewett, a 2001 graduate of Randolph Union High School, is a second year law student at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC and a 2005 graduate of Union College in Schenectady, NY. Peter is a former intern for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and a legal clerk for Senator Patrick Leahy on the Senate Judiciary Committee. | |||||
