K-School Meet Faces Challenge

The Republicans are moving towards Congress--but apparently not towards Cambridge.

This year, the traditional conference for newly elected members of Congress held at the Kennedy School of Government faces some tough competition for novice Republican representatives from a more right-wing rival.

The Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, is holding a conference for those new to Congress next month, around the same time as the Kennedy School's conference.

The Kennedy School event, which has been held each election year since 1972, is scheduled for December 8 to 14, while the Heritage Foundation session, is slated for December 8 to 11.

The difference between the two is even somewhat apparent from their names--the Heritage Foundation uses the traditional-sounding Fresh man Orientation Conference, while the Kennedy School seems to prefer the gender-neutral Newly-Elected Members of Congress.

Prominent Republican Jack Kemp's group Empower America also sponsors the Heritage Foundation meeting.

The latter three-day conference held in Baltimore is expected to draw 30 of the 73 newly elected members of Congress, said J. David Kuo, a staff member of Empower America--thus noticeably cutting into the number that the Kennedy School can hope to draw.

This is not the first time the particular conflict has arisen.

The 1992 Heritage Foundation conference, which also coincided with the Kennedy School's orientation, disrupted the Harvard conference, Kennedy School Director of Communications Steve Singer said yesterday.

"Many Republicans went to the [Heritage Foundation's conference] first and came to ours later, which reduced participation," he said.

One primary difference, however, is the large number of new Republican representatives this year, a group that seems more likely to attend a right-wing conference on governing than one at a school famed for its liberal slant.

Kuo predicts less Congress members will attend the Kennedy School's conference, which falls on the same day. "Simple math tells you fewer [first-year Congress members] will be attending the Kennedy School's conference," he said.

Singer refused to say yesterday whether the Kennedy School would reschedule its conference. But he did say that the school is working to bolster the event.

The current Kennedy School conference is sanctioned by the House Administration Committee and planned by Republicans and Democrats, Singer said. "We're still trying to negotiate a solution with the House and with a lot of people in both parties," he said.

Kuo said yesterday that one of the aims of the Heritage Foundation event is to promote bi-partisanship. "We welcome all freshmen Congressmen," he said.

Singer disagreed with Kuo's regarding the inter-party nature of the Baltimore Conference, however.

"Unlike [the Heritage Foundation's conference, the Kennedy School's] is designed from the beginning to be a wide introduction to the major issues addressed in Congress," he said. "Any examination of their speakers' list will reveal a very partisan atmosphere."

According to a statement released by the Heritage Foundation yesterday, speakers will include conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, former Bush drug czar William J. Bennett and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp.

"The scheduling of the Heritage Foundation's conference at the same time [as the Kennedy School's] reflects the polarization in Washington D.C.," said Steve Singer, director of communication for the Kennedy School.

Singer said he fears the opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to meet on a non-partisan level will be lost at the Heritage conference.

"Most of the work in Washington D.C. is partisan, so the Kennedy School conference was the only opportunity for [members of rival parties] to meet each other," he said. "The difference between the two programs is ours is a bi-partisan introduction to Congress while theirs is a conservative orientation."

The Kennedy School Conference has featured a wide range of speakers and topics of discussion, Singer said.

Past speakers at the Kennedy School conference have included President Neil L. Rudenstine, Weiner Professor of Public Policy David A. Ellwood, President of the Children's Defense Fund Marian W. Edelman and former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander

Prominent Republican Jack Kemp's group Empower America also sponsors the Heritage Foundation meeting.

The latter three-day conference held in Baltimore is expected to draw 30 of the 73 newly elected members of Congress, said J. David Kuo, a staff member of Empower America--thus noticeably cutting into the number that the Kennedy School can hope to draw.

This is not the first time the particular conflict has arisen.

The 1992 Heritage Foundation conference, which also coincided with the Kennedy School's orientation, disrupted the Harvard conference, Kennedy School Director of Communications Steve Singer said yesterday.

"Many Republicans went to the [Heritage Foundation's conference] first and came to ours later, which reduced participation," he said.

One primary difference, however, is the large number of new Republican representatives this year, a group that seems more likely to attend a right-wing conference on governing than one at a school famed for its liberal slant.

Kuo predicts less Congress members will attend the Kennedy School's conference, which falls on the same day. "Simple math tells you fewer [first-year Congress members] will be attending the Kennedy School's conference," he said.

Singer refused to say yesterday whether the Kennedy School would reschedule its conference. But he did say that the school is working to bolster the event.

The current Kennedy School conference is sanctioned by the House Administration Committee and planned by Republicans and Democrats, Singer said. "We're still trying to negotiate a solution with the House and with a lot of people in both parties," he said.

Kuo said yesterday that one of the aims of the Heritage Foundation event is to promote bi-partisanship. "We welcome all freshmen Congressmen," he said.

Singer disagreed with Kuo's regarding the inter-party nature of the Baltimore Conference, however.

"Unlike [the Heritage Foundation's conference, the Kennedy School's] is designed from the beginning to be a wide introduction to the major issues addressed in Congress," he said. "Any examination of their speakers' list will reveal a very partisan atmosphere."

According to a statement released by the Heritage Foundation yesterday, speakers will include conservative talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, former Bush drug czar William J. Bennett and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Jack Kemp.

"The scheduling of the Heritage Foundation's conference at the same time [as the Kennedy School's] reflects the polarization in Washington D.C.," said Steve Singer, director of communication for the Kennedy School.

Singer said he fears the opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to meet on a non-partisan level will be lost at the Heritage conference.

"Most of the work in Washington D.C. is partisan, so the Kennedy School conference was the only opportunity for [members of rival parties] to meet each other," he said. "The difference between the two programs is ours is a bi-partisan introduction to Congress while theirs is a conservative orientation."

The Kennedy School Conference has featured a wide range of speakers and topics of discussion, Singer said.

Past speakers at the Kennedy School conference have included President Neil L. Rudenstine, Weiner Professor of Public Policy David A. Ellwood, President of the Children's Defense Fund Marian W. Edelman and former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander