Vital Stream Naturopathy

I found the DC FLI to be a very positive experience. We spent Saturday and Sunday preparing for our Monday meetings on Capitol Hill. The preparation included a keynote speech by a staff member of Sen. Barbara Boxer covering the typical daily activities of a US Senator. What most impressed me was the level of integrity perceived to be present among the young staff members working in Congress. The most significant thing I learned was that we actually can have a voice, and that our input can make a difference. The most effective way of having input seems to require some specific knowledge of the process. In particular, if our member is on a committee that has jurisdiction over an issue or is handling a current piece of legislation pertinent to our interests, they are very open to inserting language we propose (of course depending on our positions and the level of controversy, et cetera). As far as the bigger picture policies, getting effective action is much more of a challenge. There are so many legitimate and competing interests that it is difficult to get things done. What I perceived though is not that the special interests own any one person. It is that they have a sophisticated process. They learn to control the conversation. If we do not speak our interests, then all the congressional members hear is the detailed plan of the interest groups providing the input. I also learned that lobbying and being effective in Washington DC is very different than lobbying and getting things done in Washington State. Due to the number of people involved and the number and complexity of the issues involved, mastery of interpersonal skills seems to be the minimum requirement. There seems to be more need for expertise in human relations than for knowledge and expertise of an engineered solution. It seems to require diplomacy, integrity, patience, and relationships (not with special interests but with all the various people involved in getting the process done).

Steve Koda, ND
Vital Stream Naturopathy