Washington Adventure - Part 2

By David Bresel, NCGA-DC Intern
I have been in Washington D.C. for approximately six and a half weeks and I am still loving it out here.  The important policy decisions that I’ve had a chance to work on and the people I’ve had the opportunity to meet have made this an amazing experience that I’ll not soon forget.  One of the major policy issues that the office and I have been working on is the Farm Bill. 

The Farm Bill was successfully passed in the Senate.  Now we are working our hardest to get the Farm Bill through the House of Representatives.  It is easy to tell that the House Farm Bill is not the most ideal version that NCGA would have preferred.  But having a farm bill pass before the 2008 farm bill expires is important to every agriculture organization.  So, for the last week everyone in the office has been hard at work motivating our Representatives to do something to pass this vital piece of legislation.  My duties have ranged from interpreting the bill language and amendments to going on Capitol Hill visits with the lobbyists. 

Another office project that I have been working on is getting ready for Corn Congress.  Working with the lobbyists I have been helping them get their presentations and agendas ready for the event.  I’ve even had a chance to write a few memos that were used during Corn Congress.  Sitting in on meetings at the event has really given me a greater appreciations for the members of NCGA. 

I was also lucky enough to go to Crab Fest at Chip Bowling’s farm. Chip is a corn grower in Newburg, Md.,  and serves as a member of the National Corn Board.  It was the first time that I’ve ever eaten crab like that.  I also had a chance to go on a boat ride in the Chesapeake.  It was overall a great day and a fantastic experience and I’d like to publicly thank Chip for hosting that event. 

One more noteworthy event that I had the opportunity to witness was seeing the Supreme Court hand down the decision on the health care reform act.  Jon Doggett and Natalie Cook told me to go to the Supreme Court to see the events that were taking place outside as it was going to be a historic day.  So I went to the court and I somehow found my way inside the building.  Then I was able to get into the chamber of the Supreme Court where I sat next to Michelle Bachman and saw the nine justices on the bench and listened to Justice Roberts read the majority opinion in the decision.  No matter what my opinion is on the decision given by the Court it was still an incredibly humbling experience to be sitting there watching and listening to the justices.  It is an experience that I will remember for as long as I live. 

I am so happy to be working at NCGA.  It has reaffirmed my belief that working in the agriculture industry is what I want to do for my lifelong career.    I can honestly say that being here at NCGA and working with the Nebraska CornBoard has been one of the best experiences of my life.  

The National Corn Growers Association office in Washington, D.C. is hosting David Bresel of Lincoln, Neb., as their summer intern supported by a partnership between Nebraska Corn Board and NCGA. David is a student in at the University of Nebraska College of Law. He will be involved with a variety of issues related to environmental regulations, transportation, free trade agreements, biotechnology, ethanol and energy.