Spending time around powerful people is intoxicating. Hanging around in the halls of power is one of Washington biggest draws.
The D.C. brand of celebrity differs from Los Angeles. Celebrity-driven reporting is not a fixture in Washington. TMZ reporters and paparazzi do not fill government building halls like they might Rodeo Drive. People in the hallways get excited when they see any senator. (Almost all congressmen can be distinguished from “regular people” by a notable lapel pin they wear on their suits).
Ben Affleck testifies on Capitol Hill in March. The actor/director was discussing problems in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Amanda Bossard/ Medill News Service File Photo)
If you keep up with the news you will be excited to see so many important and familiar faces on a regular basis. It’s part of the job when you’re reporting here.
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who was the Democrat nominee for president in 2004, saying hello to me out of the blue in the Dirksen Senate Office Building one morning was a story I can always tell.
Spending time on Capitol Hill gives you access to a wide range of people. Whether it is Ben Affleck, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, Rep. Anthony Weiner, the Democrat from New York currently fighting for his political life, or Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Political causes are fashionable in Hollywood and many concerned celebrities will show up on Capitol Hill to testify before a committee. Ben Affleck and Stephen Colbert have both testified before Congress in the last year.
One of the most interesting events I attended was a joint press conference with Jessica Alba and Democrat Frank Lautenberg, the senior senator from New Jersey. Held in a small Senate room, it was as packed as I have ever seen a press conference in D.C.
Alba was on the Hill to lobby for the Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, legislation sponsored by Lautenberg. The bill would update the federal system for managing chemical safety. The pregnant actress was joined by other American moms who are concerned about the effects of chemicals on their children, born or unborn.
“As you may have heard, I’ll be having my second child soon. It would be wonderful if Congress could pass this legislation in time for his or her arrival,” she said. “Don’t send flowers. No fruit baskets. Instead, let’s all give the gift of health to each other with the Safe Chemicals Act.”
After the press conference I headed across the Capitol building to a joint meeting of Congress, a bit of a rarity. The speaker: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sitting in the press gallery during was an honor and one of the best experiences of my quarter in Washington.
I will also never forget attending President Barack Obama’s economic speech in April at George Washington University. Even though I have seen Obama countless times because I lived in his Chicago neighborhood while attending the University of Chicago, it was a different experience to see a presidential speech in such small quarters. Everyone should get the chance to do this.
When you are in Washington, take the opportunity to cross paths with such an interesting variety of people. Whether it be a movie star or a senator, it is always exciting.
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Kate Shephard has been a reporter for Medill News Service in Washington. She graduates with a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism this month.