Nonpartisan POPVOX Foundation Launches “Gavel In” Podcast to Support the Orientation of Members Elect and Their Staff
Today, POPVOX Foundation is announcing “Gavel In,” a limited-run, explainer podcast series about how Congress works, created especially for freshmen Members of the 119th Congress, their staff, and spouses. Gavel In supplements the House’s official New Member Orientation onboarding so new Members and staff are extra set up for success as they set up their new offices on Capitol Hill and in their districts.
Gavel In shares best practices and Congressional procedures from interviews with current and former Members of Congress, Capitol Hill Chiefs of Staff and other high-ranking staffers, and Congressional scholars — all hailing from across the country and the political spectrum..
And most importantly, Gavel In provides empathy for freshmen Members as they face a steep learning curve. From their many years of experience, our hosts and guests share lifehacks and practical tips for adjusting to being a lawmaker, balancing Congressional and family life, and more.
What’s Covered in Gavel In
Gavel In is a series of accessible explainers on important topics that every freshman Member of Congress and their managerial staff need to know to effectively establish their Capitol Hill and district offices, including:
the legislative process
hiring staff and managing the office budget
Congressional Rules
effective committee membership
conducting oversight
building rapport across the chamber, and more.
Each episode has an accompanying landing page on POPVOX Foundation’s website that reinforces the lessons learned with links to additional resources and a transcript of the podcast.
The ten episodes include:
Schoolhouse Rock: A Refresher and Reality Check for the Modern Legislative Process
The Structure of a Congressional Office and How to Boost Effectiveness Out of the Gate
How Committees in the House Work and How to be an Effective Committee Member
Reaching Your Constituents and Translating Your Impact to the District
I Wish I Knew Then What I Know Now (from current and former Members of Congress)
Featured Guests
Gavel In’s guests include:
Current Members of Congress:
Rep. Stephanie Bice [R, OK]
Rep. Kat Cammack [R, FL]
Rep. Maxwell Frost [D, FL]
Rep. Derek Kilmer [D, WA]
Rep. Bryan Steil [R, WI]
Former Members of Congress:
Former Rep. Brian Baird [D, WA]
Former Rep. Rodney Davis [R, IL]
Former Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D, CO]
Current and Former Congressional staff:
Yuri Beckelman, Chief of Staff for Rep. Maxwell Frost [D, FL]
Jen Daulby, CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation
Bradford Fitch, former President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation and former Chief of Staff
Betsy Wright Hawkings, Manager of Congressional Outreach at the Levin Center and former Chief of Staff for former Rep. Chris Shays [R, CT]
Keenan Austin Reed, Principal and incoming CEO at the Alpine Group and former Chief of Staff
Nicole Tisdale, former Director for the White House National Security Council and the House Committee on Homeland Security, and POPVOX Foundation Senior Fellow
Congressional scholars and think tank experts:
Dr. Casey Burgat, Director of the Legislative Affairs program at the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University
Dr. Maya Kornberg, Senior Research Fellow and Manager at the Brennan Center for Justice
Dr. Kevin Kosar, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
About the Hosts
Gavel In’s hosts are former Congressional staffers who are intimately familiar with how Congress works and its onboarding process, having previously supported New Member Orientation and the modernization of the Congressional operations in the House of Representatives:
Aubrey Wilson — Director of Government Innovation at POPVOX Foundation, who previously served as the Committee on House Administration’s (CHA) Deputy Staff Director in the 118th Congress and its Director of Oversight and Modernization in the 117th Congress. She was also Staff Director of the Joint Committee on Printing and oversaw the inaugural session of CHA’s Subcommittee on Modernization.
Taylor J. Swift — Director of Government Capacity at POPVOX Foundation, who previously served as Policy Fellow for the House of Representatives Democratic Caucus and helped to establish the former Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
While hailing from opposite sides of the political spectrum, Aubrey and Taylor are united in their dedication to the Legislative branch and to providing the 119th Congress with empathy as they drink from the fire hose of NMO. The only bias listeners may detect is a strictly nonpartisan one focused on strengthening the First Branch of government and its resilience. The good news is the House has made vast operational, personnel-related, and technological improvements in the past several years that will positively impact your experience as a Member, which are highlighted throughout the episodes.
Empowering the 119th Congress
Another goal of Gavel In is to increase newly elected Members’ awareness of resources available within Congress to support their upskilling and professional development, and to connect the 119th Congress to the community of civil society and academics who can share their expertise on Congressional operations, parliamentary procedures, and more. Over the weeks and months ahead, we hope that they will lean on the advice and encouragement shared by Gavel In’s hosts and our expert guests, and realize that this podcast is a launching point to help the 119th Congress fully realize the incredible network of support available.
Like, Follow, and Subscribe
We hope you’ll subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and give us a five-star rating (especially on Apple Podcasts). Please join us in spreading the word by taking a few minutes to do the following:
Follow and listen to Gavel In on your favorite streaming platform, including Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and more!
Tell your colleagues on Capitol Hill and incoming staff about the podcast and why YOU think they should listen.
About POPVOX Foundation
With a mission to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone, the nonpartisan POPVOX Foundation is focused on ensuring that democratic institutions are equipped to address the “pacing problem” — the gap between emerging technologies and governance. Cofounded in 2021 and led by proud former Congressional staffers from both sides of the aisle, the team at POPVOX Foundation brings empathy, a deep respect for the Legislative branch, and diverse expertise to its efforts to modernize Congress and other governing institutions.
