K-School Revives Congress Program

The Kennedy School's four-day orientation for new members of Congress, after being derailed by the 1994 "Republican Revolution," is back on track and tentatively scheduled for mid-December.

Phil R. Sharp, director of the Institute of Politics and himself a former Democratic representative from Indiana, said the orientation has been approved, pending a final announcement in the next two weeks and the approval of both political parties.

Until 1994, the session was held every two years since 1972, when four newcomers attended a month-long program. In 1992, the conference lasted one week and drew more than 80 new legislators.

New Republican representatives attended an alternative orientation sponsored by the Heritage Foundation in Baltimore in 1994, forcing IOP officials to cancel the event.

"We were told that the Republicans were not going to attend, and the concept behind the orientation is to have a bipartisan discussion of issues, so we weren't interested in doing it for just one party's freshmen," said IOP Deputy Director Catherine A. McLaughlin.

While Steven R. Singer, director of communications at the Kennedy School, said that Republican charges of liberal bias within the program were "never very credible," he added that organizers are taking extra care this year to include Republicans in the planning process.

"We've always taken great care that all panels and presentations were bipartisan and balanced," Singer said. "I think we're doing the groundwork now, talking to both sides, so people will understand that we are being nonpartisan."

Program alumni number about 200, including former representative Barbara Jordan (D-Texas), Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Brighton), Rep. Peter G. Torkildson (R-Hingham) and Rep. John Kasich (R-Ohio).

McLaughlin said this year's orientation will last about four days, featuring presentations by Harvard faculty members, former U.S. senators and representatives and Congressional staffers with extensive Capitol Hill experience.

All presentations will be followed by discussions among the legislators-elect.

"In addition to addressing issues, we're trying to show them the most effective ways to use their energies in order to advance their point of view," Sharp said. "We want to show them the most practical ways to work through the system."

"We run this same kind of program for new mayors of big cities. We're trying to help them make the adjustment from their current lives into new jobs with a lot more responsibility," he said.

Before Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, the program was recognized by the House Oversight Committee as part of the official orientation program for new legislators and was staffed by House personnel.

This year's program will be run by IOP staff with help from undergraduate volunteers, said John W. Turner '97, vice chair of the IOP's Student Advisory Committee, whose father, Jim, is campaigning for Congress in east Texas.

"This is very exciting for the IOP, because it brings the focus of the next Congressional session to Harvard. There are a number of students on staff or just involved in our committees who will be able to help out," Turner said.

Fifty-three incumbents are retiring this year, guaranteeing that the orientation program will have a sizable list of invitees.

"We have dates picked, and we have hotel rooms reserved, but we don't want to make any announcements until we have everything nailed down," which should be within two weeks, Sharp said

McLaughlin said this year's orientation will last about four days, featuring presentations by Harvard faculty members, former U.S. senators and representatives and Congressional staffers with extensive Capitol Hill experience.

All presentations will be followed by discussions among the legislators-elect.

"In addition to addressing issues, we're trying to show them the most effective ways to use their energies in order to advance their point of view," Sharp said. "We want to show them the most practical ways to work through the system."

"We run this same kind of program for new mayors of big cities. We're trying to help them make the adjustment from their current lives into new jobs with a lot more responsibility," he said.

Before Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, the program was recognized by the House Oversight Committee as part of the official orientation program for new legislators and was staffed by House personnel.

This year's program will be run by IOP staff with help from undergraduate volunteers, said John W. Turner '97, vice chair of the IOP's Student Advisory Committee, whose father, Jim, is campaigning for Congress in east Texas.

"This is very exciting for the IOP, because it brings the focus of the next Congressional session to Harvard. There are a number of students on staff or just involved in our committees who will be able to help out," Turner said.

Fifty-three incumbents are retiring this year, guaranteeing that the orientation program will have a sizable list of invitees.

"We have dates picked, and we have hotel rooms reserved, but we don't want to make any announcements until we have everything nailed down," which should be within two weeks, Sharp said