Whenever there are tough times either for the nation or for us as individuals, it’s inevitable that people ask where God is in the midst of the challenges, pain and setbacks.
HillFaith is focused on the 20,000 or so mostly young men and women who work on Capitol Hill for senators, representatives and congressional agencies, but I actually live in Maryland and attend Friendship Baptist Church with my wife, Claudia, in Sykesville.
Like thousands of other churches in America, our Sunday morning services, Grow Groups (what used to be known as “Sunday School”) and Connection Groups (small groups for fellowship, service and study) have gone online until the Pandemic is sufficiently past that groups will again be allowed to meet.
This morning’s service by Senior Pastor Mark Massey is on this question of where is God when we need Him in the midst of crises. I suspect there are more than a few HillFaith readers who are asking this question and perhaps Mark’s sermon thoughts will be helpful:
Former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) died Friday after waging a long battle against the prostate cancer that prompted his retirement in 2013. I have no doubt that he would still be in the Senate today, absent the cancer.
Former Sen. Tom Coburn RIP
Being a fellow Oklahoman and graduate of Oklahoma State University, I admit to having a particular interest in Coburn, but parochial considerations aside, I admired him immensely because he never succumbed to the temptations of fame and power that too often make Washington, D.C. what it is.
Coburn was first and forever a genuine man of the people, the real-life “Okie from Muskogee,” full of blunt courage, deep common-sense and immense admiration for the wisdom of America’s founders.
There was never any doubt about where this man stood on an important issue or worry that he would betray his principles. That is a priceless virtue in the nation’s capital and one that is far too rarely seen these days.
Coburn was a committed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. His family said of his passing that, “Because of his strong faith, he rested in the hope found in John chapter 11 verse 25 where Jesus said, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, will live, even though they die.’ Today he lives in heaven.”
The genuineness of his faith was seen in how Coburn treated his staff. Tears came to my eyes earlier this morning when I read these words from Keith Ashdown, who was Coburn’s staff director on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee:
“I was raised by a single mom. The closest thing I had to a father figure in my life passed away this morning,” Ashdown said in a tweet. “Senator Tom Coburn was a great lawmaker and even a better man. Working for him was one of the greatest honors of my life.”
And former long-time Coburn communications director John Hart’s tribute stirred my tears as well:
“His family came first and our hearts break for their loss. But those of us who had the joy and privilege of working with him were all his adopted sons and daughters. He made room in his heart for all of us and we kept in close touch with him until the end.
“He would always find time to challenge, encourage, correct and guide us. He touched us all deeply and gave us a gift that has blessed our lives and families beyond measure.”
One of the ways journalists covering Congress privately assess senators and representatives is by what their staffs say about them in candid, confidential moments. Coburn’s staff meant it when they expressed admiration for their boss, which was frequently. Coburn was so different from so many others we cover.
Count yourself blessed immensely if you ever have the opportunity to work on Capitol Hill — or anywhere else, for that matter —for a man like Tom Coburn.
Donald Stevens is the new guy in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s office, serving as Counsel via Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas). Stevens is a 2014 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. He also earned an MA in history in 2010 from the University of Oregon and a BA in chemistry in 2007 from Stanford.
Over on the House side, Ashlee Rossler has saddled up as Legislative Assistant/Counsel for Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio). Ashlee’s law degree was awarded by the University of Wisconsin School of Law in 2019 and she received her BA in international relations and political science from Syracuse University in 2015.
It must be Counsel Week on the Hill because number three here is Ronce Almondheading over to fill that duty for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee via Ranking Minority Member Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Ronce’s law and political science MA are both from Duke University, while his BA in history comes from George Washington University.
LOOKING FOR A HILL JOB?
Check out this five-part HillFaith series by Bret Bernhardt, former chief of staff for Senators Don Nickle (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Bernhardt has a wealth of experience, insider insight, how-tos and obscure terms (know what a “golden reference” is on the Hill?), plus lots of helpful links.
Kamara Jones has moved over to the Joint Economic Committee as Communications Director, working for Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), the bicameral panel’s vice-chairman. Kamara previously served as Communications Director for the Congressional Black Caucus and before that as Press Secretary for Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). She is a 2008 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and earned her MA in African-American Studies from Ohio State University in 2010.
Annie Kowalewski (Screen shot from Twitter)
Annie Kowalewski nabbed her first job on Capitol Hill and it’s a good one, Policy Analyst working for Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Annie’s law degree is from the University of Edinburgh (I absolutely love Edinburrrow!) and her MA in security studies is from Georgetown University.
Joe Fawkner has arrived in the office of Rep. Carol Miller (R-WVA) as a Senior Policy Adviser. Joe formerly lobbied on behalf of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was Executive Director of the Hong Kong/U.S. Business Council. Joe was awarded his BA in international studies from Boston College in 2000 and is MPhil in modern Chinese studies from the University of Oxford in 2003.
LOOKING FOR A HILL JOB?
Check out this five-part HillFaith series by Bret Bernhardt, former chief of staff for Senators Don Nickle (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.). Bernhardt has a wealth of experience, insider insight, how-tos and obscure terms (know what a “golden reference” is on the Hill?), plus lots of helpful links.
It’s become a commonplace on Capitol Hill and elsewhere that an unmarried man and a woman living together “can raise kids just as well as married couples.”
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
But that’s not what social science data shows, according to Francie Broghammer of the Institute for Family Studies (IFS). Broghammer summarizes what the data shows thusly:
Recognize where this photo was taken? That’s Rev. Fisher Yang of Northern Virginia on the right, and Mark Tapscott, HillFaith editor, on the left, pointing to the subject of John 3:16.
John 3:16, incidentally, may be the most well-known verse of the New Testament: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but will be saved.”
Got a question about member services on the House Republican side? Natalie Joyce is who you need to see because she’s the new Deputy Chief of Staff for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Natalie has been with McCarthy since January 2011. She’s a 2008 BA graduate in communications and public relations from Mississippi State University.
First jobs on the Hill can be both exciting and challenging as Rachel Marshall is now discovering, being the new Legislative Assistant to Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.). Before coming aboard with Speier, Marshall was with with the Campaign for Youth Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union. Rachel was awarded her BS in political science in 2009 from Ball State University and her law degree in 2016 from the American University Washington College of Law.
Daniel Bucheli (Screenshot from Facebook).
You may know Daniel Buchelias president of the Republican Communicators Association but he’s also just returned to a familiar position, Communications Director for Rep. Ross Spano (R-FL). Previously, he served a stint with the Trump re-election campaign as Deputy Press Secretary and before that was Spano’s CD. Johns Hopkins University awarded Daniel an MA in public policy and political communication in 2015 and in 2010 he earned a BA in government and world affairs from the University of Tampa. Continue reading “STAFF MOVES: Look Who’s Being Promoted On Capitol Hill This Week”
