On February 15, 2024, POPVOX Foundation brought together current and former caseworkers and experts from #AfghanEvac to discuss the findings and recommendations from “American Ingenuity: Congressional Casework in the Afghanistan Withdrawal,” a report detailing the extraordinary efforts of Congressional caseworkers who overcame bureaucratic obstacles in a high-stakes situation to facilitate the evacuation of thousands of Americans and American allies during the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The panelists also announced details for a new award to recognize exceptional Congressional casework contributions.
Panelists
Jenna Jaffe is a seasoned immigration advocate with eight years of experience as a congressional caseworker. She currently serves as the Immigration Specialist in the Office of Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-12), where she focuses on humanitarian and crisis-driven migration response. In August 2021, Jenna co-founded the Afghanistan Caseworker Working Group in an effort to facilitate bipartisan collaboration among colleagues in service. She is first-generation American and a descendant of Holocaust refugees.
Shawn VanDiver is the founder of #AfghanEvac and Vice President of External Affairs at Athenian Group where he works with government leaders to identify innovative solutions to long-term civic challenges.
A vocal proponent of civic engagement at all levels, Shawn serves as Vice Chair of the San Diego Convention Center and is the founder of the San Diego Chapter of the Truman National Security Project. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for Vets Community Connections and the Veterans Community Oversight and Engagement Board.
Shawn attended National University, the Naval Postgraduate School, and University of San Francisco and holds degrees and certifications related to homeland security, cybersecurity, emergency management, and public leadership. Shawn is a Navy veteran, proud father and avid sailor.
Jessica Bradley Rushing is the Acting Director for Engagement & Analysis for the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) in the State Department’s South and Central Asian Affairs Bureau (SCA). She previously worked as a veterans caseworker and district representative in the Office of Congressman Bill Keating (MA09). She is a former elected municipal official, having served as the Chairwoman of the Select Board in Pembroke, Massachusetts.
From 2021-2023, Jessica served as a Congressional Point of Contact for #AfghanEvac, a coalition of more than 200 organizations working alongside the US government on Afghan relocation and resettlement operations. In that role she enabled information sharing between the State Department and the Hill, providing case management assistance for hundreds of congressional caseworkers in Hill offices around the country.
She is a 2019 graduate of EmergeAmerica and a member of the Truman National Security Project Defense Council. Jessica has a BS in Communication from Boston University and is pursuing a Masters in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco. She is an Army veteran and a mother of four. In what little spare time she has, she enjoys reading, traveling, yoga, and running.
Moderator
Anne Meeker is Deputy Director of POPVOX Foundation, and a former House caseworker. She was a founding member of the POPVOX Foundation team as Director of Special Initiatives. She previously served as Director of Constituent Services for Congressman Seth Moulton, where she worked to use data and technology to deliver smarter casework services to residents of the MA06. Anne holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Oxford (St. Hugh's College), and an MSc in History from the London School of Economics. She is also a proud Clevelander, and will take any opportunity to talk up the Rust Belt.
About the Report
Between April 2023 and January 2024, the POPVOX Foundation team interviewed Congressional caseworkers from both sides of the aisle and both chambers who handled casework related to the Afghanistan withdrawal. Interviewees were recruited through the author’s existing network of casework relationships and referrals. Interviewees were granted anonymity to share their experiences with candor, and are identified in this report only by chamber and party, with some exceptions where the interviewee had been previously quoted in the media. Additional materials, including hearing transcripts and journalistic accounts of the Afghanistan withdrawal, are cited where relevant. While no report can capture the full breadth of experiences of caseworkers handling the Afghanistan withdrawal, research for the report aimed for a balanced group of experienced caseworkers who could speak to the specific challenges of this crisis in a broader context.
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission “to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone.” POPVOX Foundation has been at the forefront of research and modernization efforts around Congressional casework since its founding in 2021. POPVOX Foundation’s Casework Navigator program provides resources to support caseworkers and elevate casework expertise as a vital component of Congress’s oversight responsibility. POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker also previously testified to the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress on constituent services, and has written extensively on Congressional casework and pathways for modernization.