# Presentation: 329612

## Lauren Lugo
Congressional Affairs Specialist
NOAA Office of Legislative Affairs
August 30, 2007

- Congressional Affairs Specialist
- NOAA Office of Legislative Affairs
- August 30, 2007

## Overview

- Review legislative successes from 2006
- Learn about pressures affecting this Congress
- Note: I use several editorial cartoons to demonstrate my points.  These do not necessarily represent my views or those of NOAA.
- Review Committee leadership relevant to NOAA
- Understand NOAA’s legislative priorities
- Talk about strategies for effective communication with Congress

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## 2006 Accomplishments

- NOAA’s Legislative Successes
- Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act
- Marine Debris
- Tsunami Warning and Education Act
- National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS)
- NOAA’s Congressional Activities
- 51 Congressional Hearings (most ever?)
- 900 Briefings to Members and Staff
- 20,000 Communications between OLA and Congress
- Phone calls, inquires, requests, emails, etc.
- Trips, Outreach and Education

- Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act

- Monk Seal trapped in marine debris

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## 2006 Election Results

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Democrats in the 110th CongressDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

- Democratic take over of Committees, Floor, Staff—The Whole Agenda!
- Dr. Jekyll: More receptive audience for NOAA Issues (i.e. oceans and environment)
- Mr. Hyde: Goal to Criticize Administration and make headlines.
- Oversight and Investigations (i.e. Scientific Integrity, Climate Change, and Satellites)

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Pressure 1: Cutting Pork

- Pressure 1: Cutting Pork

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Pressure 2: Lobbying Reform

- Pressure 2: Lobbying Reform

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Pressure 3:Oversight & Investigations

- Pressure 3:Oversight & Investigations

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Pressure 4: Environmental Campaigns

- Pressure 4: Environmental Campaigns

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Pressure 5: Re-Election

- Pressure 5: Re-Election

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Key NOAA Committees

- House Science & Technology
- Chair—Bart Gordon (D-TN)
- Ranking Republican—Ralph M. Hall (R-TX); Boehlert (R-NY) retires
- New Subcommittee on Energy and Environment—Chair Lampson and Ranking Member Inglis
- New Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee—Chair Miller and Ranking Member Sensenbrenner
- House Resources
- Chair Nick Rahall (D-WV)
- Ranking Member Don Young (R-AK)
- Subcommittee on Fisheries, Oceans and Wildlife—Chair Bordallo and Ranking Member Brown

- Bart Gordon

- Ralph M. Hall

- Nick Rahall

- Don Young

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Key NOAA Committees

- Senate Commerce
- Chair—Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)
- Ranking Republican—Ted Stevens (R-AK)
- New Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard—Chair Cantwell and Ranking Member Snowe
- Senate Appropriations
- Chair—Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)
- Ranking Republican—Thad Cochran (R-MS)
- CJS Subcommittee: Chair—Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Ranking—Richard C. Shelby (R-AL)

- Daniel K. Inouye

- Ted Stevens

- Robert C. Byrd

- Barbara Mikulski

- Richard C. Shelby

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Key NOAA Committees

- House Appropriations
- Chair—David R. Obey (D-WI)
- Ranking Republican—Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
- CJS Subcommittee: Chair—Alan B. Mollahan (D-WV), Ranking—Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)

- What does this mean?

- Jerry Lewis

- David R. Obey

- Alan B. Mollahan

- Rodney Frelinghuysen

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## DOC Legislative Priorities

- Top 10
- Immigration Reform
- Trade Promote Authority
- Free Trade Agreement- Columbia
- Free Trade Agreement- Peru
- Aquaculture
- Export Act
- Environmental Stewardship
- (Corals, Sanctuaries, Marine Mammals, Cooperative Conservation)
- U.S. PTO Fees
- NIST Reauthorization
- Hydrographic Services

- What Does this Mean?
- These are issues the Secretary will talk about during speeches, participate in events, play some sort of active role, etc.

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## NOAA Legislative Priorities

- NOAA Congressional Priorities
- NOAA Organic Act
- Aquaculture
- Corals, Sanctuaries, Marine Mammals, Cooperative Conservation
- Hydrographic Services

- Line Office Priorities
- NOS: Corals, Sanctuaries, Hydrographic Services, IOOS, CZMA
- NMFS: Aquaculture, Funding to Implement MSA, ICCAT, IWC, Regional Priorities
- NWS: Services Elevation (CONOPS), Aviation Weather, Tsunamis
- OAR: Scientific Openness, Hurricane Research, UAS’s, Sea Grant Reauthorization
- NESDIS: Outreach/Communication
- NMAO: NOAA Corps, Vessel Authorization

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## NOAA Office of Legislative Affairs

- We serve all of NOAA—Strategic Consultants
- Tremendous Opportunities with New Members and Staff—We already started
- To facilitate interaction between NOAA and Congress NOAA OLA developed guidance on:
- Congressional Travel
- Briefings
- Correspondence
- Testimony/Testifying

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Legislative Strategy

- Factors to consider...
- Magnuson-Stevens Act negotiations set the standard
- Administration term is coming to an end–More aggressive approach
- Third Party Validation—Coalitions move bills
- Competing priorities—Limited time for Congress to act

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Results	

- So, what has happened...
- Several NOAA bills are under consideration
- Oversight hearings
- Provided responses to several investigations
- NOAA FY’08 Budget is still pending
- Hosting Congressional travel and special events

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Effective Communication: What works and what doesn’t

- You may be asked to go to the Hill.

| What works: |  | What doesn’t: |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Understand the Member’s sensitivities! |  | Presenting one-sided views |
| Honest talk |  | Jargon |
| Frequent updates |  | “Know-it-all” attitudes |
| Keep it short |  | Bad timing |
| Anticipate questions |  |  |
| Consult your Congressional Specialist |  |  |

- Congressional Relations: Know Your Audience

## Eric Webster – Director
Brook Davis – Deputy Director

- Brook Davis – Deputy Director