Virginia lobbyist Rob Hartwell spent 13 formative years working on Capitol Hill. He and other former congressional staffers who still live in the DMV say those early careers helped shape their lives. “Congress is the best learning experience I ever had,” Hartwell said. Photo courtesy of Rob Hartwell

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The U.S. Congress is a high-stress, pressure-cooker environment. For staffers, working there means multiple deadlines a day, a demanding public, an unpredictable schedule and, frequently, long days.  

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate can seem like a roiling cauldron of egos, with super-ambitious people eager to make headlines and nab television interviews. In addition, some elected officials are tightly wound, inexperienced managers. 

Yet working in Congress can be a problem-solving exercise, an education in public policy, or a stepping stone to the more lucrative private sector. In fact, many former congressional staffers now look back with appreciation for the insight and skills they acquired on Capitol Hill.  

An inspiring place to work 

Rob Hartwell, a resident of Prince William County, Virginia, spent 13 valuable years as a staffer on Capitol Hill. While some may be cynical about government, Hartwell is not.

“When I look at the U.S. Capitol all lit up, it never fails to inspire me, and I think, ‘I was part of that. I helped people and served my country.’ It gives me a sense that I have contributed to this country.” 

In the House of Representatives, Hartwell wrote tax legislation that affects almost every economic sector. One bill provided tax advantages to families that put land into permanent conservation trusts, and another stimulated the development of a safe, eco-friendly method of sterilizing medical instruments. 

Hartwell said his job experience taught him “to understand complex issues and boil [them] down into concise marketing pitches,” he said. After all, briefing a legislator or staffer is essentially a marketing pitch, he said. 

Hartwell advises congressional job-seekers to commit to at least 10 years on the job so they can learn complex processes like budget and appropriations. He believes that most members of Congress “care about the country and want to get something done for their constituents.”  

Does he miss working on Capitol Hill? “I’m still up there doing it, lobbying,” he said.  

After Congress, Hartwell turned to lobbying for chain drugstores and nursing homes. The congressional-staff-to-lobbyist route is quite common in Washington and attractive because the pay is usually higher. 

In his Virginia community, Hartwell also volunteers to protect the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge from infringing development, and to enhance the Potomac River’s water quality.  

He is vice president of his community association, and served on the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, an appointed position. 

Wearing many hats comes easily now. In Congress, Hartwell said, “I learned how to handle a multitude of issues at the same time.”

Making an impact 

 Marylander Ruth Katz also fondly recalls her years working on Capitol Hill two decades ago. 

“I loved every minute of it,” Katz said. “I never considered the long hours burdensome or a negative. You can work on something that has an impact on millions of people and be a part of making that happen.” 

Katz worked on healthcare legislation as public health counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired at the time by former California Congressman Henry Waxman. 

Two high points for her in the House of Representatives were helping craft and pass the Affordable Care Act in 2010 — the bill proposed by then-President Barack Obama that expanded access to health insurance and provided some consumer protections.  

Katz also is proud of her work to authorize the National Institutes of Health to conduct fetal tissue transplantation research and to require women to be included in NIH clinical trials.  

“I never had a greater reward in my life,” she said of both measures. 

Bringing opposing views together and achieving consensus is a skill Katz uses in her work today.  

Now a vice president at the nonpartisan Aspen Institute and executive director of its Health, Medicine and Society program, she convenes experts, decision-makers and the public to examine health challenges and find consensual solutions. 

‘Intellectually stimulating’ 

Scott Cameron, a Fairfax County resident, is proud of his accomplishments during the three and a half years he worked for Nevada Senator Chic Hecht.  

Specializing in natural resources, energy and water policy, Cameron helped create Nevada’s first national park, Great Basin National Park.  

He also had to quickly master nuclear waste policy in opposing a proposed spent nuclear fuel repository at Yucca Mountain. 

Cameron appreciated the wealth of information available to Congressional staff. “Hearings are like graduate-level seminars from outside experts — very intellectually stimulating,” he said. 

His work for the Senator prepared him to testify before congressional committees, which he describes as “most challenging,” but a valuable experience.  

“Having the undivided attention of five to 10 elected members of Congress taught me not to be afraid,” he said. His advice: “If you do not know the answer to the questions, do not try to fake it.”  

Cameron enjoyed building coalitions, pairing elected officials who typically did not collaborate. “The Senate has built-in incentives to get along,” he said.  

His efforts working “across the aisle” and brokering agreements have carried over into his current work in Northern Virginia. He was elected to the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District in 2015 and is currently chairman of that district.  

He’s also second vice president of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and is an appointee and vice chairman of the State Water Control Board. In addition, he does part-time consulting, helping companies win government contracts.  

Today, Cameron’s son is following his father’s path, working for a California congressman. 

Putting out fires 

From 1993 to 2000, Fairfax County resident Mike McGill was California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s chief of staff, a job he describes as “putting out fires, running interference and managing and parenting the staff.”  

It involved coordinating the wide-ranging activities of a Senate office — from answering constituent letters, to placating grumpy corporate executives, to developing media strategies. 

“I came from California with a romantic view that the Senate was functional, collegial,” McGill said. Over time, his view mellowed.  

He grew tired of what he calls “grandstanding” by some senators. But he’s grateful he learned how Congress really works and still chuckles about several Senate skirmishes.  

McGill said his Senate work taught him intellectual discipline; how to organize his thoughts. Staff often have just a few minutes to brief their elected official, so presentations have to be well organized and to the point. 

After his Senate stint, McGill joined the General Services Administration (GSA) Public Buildings Service as a public affairs officer.  

At GSA, he learned “the other side,” that is, how executive branch agencies work. He represented the federal government on the National Capital Planning Commission, which reviews the designs of federal and some local projects in this area. 

After retiring in 2015, he chaired his community’s design review committee, which was, in effect, an extension of his government service. 

McGill says he misses some of the “glamour,” like the White House Christmas receptions and meeting corporate heads and famous people. 

“Congress is an exciting place to work,” he said, “especially for a young person.” 

That’s what draws many people to Washington: the eagerness to make a difference. While nothing gets done quickly in Congress, and partisan sniping is not new and may be on the rise, congressional work can still change lives for the better, according to those who’ve done it.