Second Interview: Senate Finance Committee

I went into the interview with a series of questions:

• What does a day look like for a Fellow at the Committee?
• What are the strong points of this Committee? What are the challenges?
• How are Fellows supported in their work (mentoring, advice)?
• What would you envision as my portfolio? How flexible is that portfolio?
• How does the Committee handle mistakes?
• How would you describe the culture of the office?
• Would I be able to participate in Fellowship activities?
• Relationship with the Members?
• Participation in Washington Chorus?

I came out of the interview with a renewed excitement about the possibility of joining this amazing group of people for the task ahead. Let me take you through the interview.

Group 1: Liz, David, Yvette:

This is the senior management team. Liz Fowler is on her second tour of duty with the Committee- she was out in the world, including the insurance industry, before being brought back into the fight. David Schwarz is their man on Medicaid, Yvette Fontenot is handling the new stuff- insurance markets and exchanges. She is pregnant, and so a portfolio will be opening up. All spoke of the need for teamwork in the office, of the incredible amount of work that needed to be done quickly and accurately, and of the ways in which they support the Fellows while relying on them to do the work. As a Fellow, you will have enough rope to hang yourself, as they are serious about putting good people to good use. David told me a story about a mistake in information given to the Senator on the floor- no drama, just deep disappoint. They acknowledge their humanity, but not often. Key talents are writing clearly and effectively. A lot. I would charge up a hill for these people.

Group 2: Chris, Neleen, Tony. Medicare A, Medicare B, and, well, the new guy, who has picked up pieces of both along with FDA and devices. Tony lived in Webster for a while; his father was the priest at the Greek-Orthodox Church there. Again, super nice people. We talked about the need to be flexible, about how the new person has to develop their own portfolio and about how everyone really needs to pull their own weight to make this work. Quarters are close and tight- you have to be able to move in and out of the moment. Tony likes to through things. I wold charge up a hill will these people.

Group 3: Shawn and Diedra: Gold. Shawn tried to tell me that she is somewhat difficult to work with; I don't believe it. She gives Liz complete credit for pulling together such a remarkable team. She said that, for a new person, it is always a steep learning curve. Joining this group in the midst of conference will be a steeper and tougher learning curve than usual. Diedra does TANF (which will be reauthorized this year) as well as Title IV and Title V. She wants to fix Title V and, as we spoke of home visiting and care coordination, I got really excited about the notion of bolstering the Title V MCH program. She asked if I would be willing to do it; now I am willing to take a bullet for these people.

Group 4: The Bullpen: Matt Kazan, Kelly Whitener, Scott Berkowitz are the new folks. Scott is actually a Fellow. Love the place, love the work, have no outside lives. They are the people would be taking the bullets with me. Good comrades.

I could grow the love this place. We will see how it goes.