Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship Program

COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

·    Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the American Political Science Association on five decades of tremendous success in its Congressional Fellowship Program. Since 1953, the A.P.S.A. has trained and supported over 1800 Fellows, bringing top academic scholars, political journalists, experienced public servants, and others to the Hill. For 9 months, they learn from and contribute to the political process. These Fellows include political scientists, sociologists, journalists, domestic and foreign policy specialists, physicians, Native American Hatfield Fellows, staff from other legislative bodies, and international scholars. All of them have benefited greatly from the opportunity to take part in the legislative process, and Congress as an institution has been improved by their participation.

    Throughout my careers in both the House and in the Senate, I have had the pleasure of hosting A.P.S.A. Congressional Fellows in my office. Beginning in 1985, I have hosted eight Fellows, two of whom are with my office now. Joe Bowersox, an associate professor of political science at Willamette University in Salem, OR, works on forestry issues, wildfire prevention, and a host of other environmental issues. Thad Kousser, an assistant professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego has assisted with the budget, health care, and preventing government waste. Like all of the Fellows I host, they are treated as professional staff. They have prepared me for hearings, met with constituents and policy experts, drafted statements, worked out of my State offices in Oregon, and helped me to craft legislation.

    I am able to give so much responsibility to A.P.S.A. Fellows because they have gone through such extensive training in their program. In the fall before they begin work, the Fellows attend 3 weeks of intensive instruction in a broad range of domestic and foreign policy issues as well as practical politics. The training is hosted by the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and taught by a collection of Washington's top experts. After this orientation, the Fellows attend a 4-day Advanced Legislative Institute Seminar run by the Congressional Research Service. Even after they have joined an office, the Fellows continue their education by attending the Wilson Seminar Series on Friday afternoons. This comprehensive preparation is a large part of what has made the program so successful.

    The program has also benefited from the enduring commitment of the American Political Science Association to keep the connections between academia and Congress strong. It is administered out of the Association's national headquarters and has in recent years been expertly led by Jeff Biggs, a former A.P.S.A. Fellow himself. Other distinguished alumni of the program include Thomas Mann, Norman Ornstein, Rep. Bob Filner, former Rep. Steve Horn, and Vice President Dick Cheney. I hope that the next 50 years of the Fellowship will be as successful as its first five decades.·