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Waring, Bank and Ko constantly attempt
to influence policy in conjunction with the
University's best interests.
Lobbying - a term supposedly coined
by President Ulysses Grant in the 1870s
as political suitors vied for the President's
attention in the lobby of Washington's
swanky Willard Hotel - is often associat-
-med with the highly endowed K-street firms
that push deals with senators in smoke-
filled back rooms.
But according to Waring, the Univer-
sity's interactions are much broader than
tussles over the latest House resolution.
"Most advocacy is explaining how
things work to policymakers," Waring
said. "Because they can't make good policy
unless they understand how their deci-
sions are going to affect various groups."
Public Policy Prof. Richard Hall said
lobbyists are often seen as those who wield
,_ampaign contributions to sway policy.
However, 501(3)(c) organizations - like
the University - are legally barred from
making campaign contributions.
"They don't like to use the word lobby
because that has special meaning," Hall
said. "They use words like 'educating
policymakers,' which is what a lot of lob-
byists do. I think higher education policy
would be worse if you didn't have repre-
sentatives from higher education institu-
tions in the process."
Hall said rather than coercing poli-
ticians to take positions they wouldn't
otherwise, most advocacy organizations
target politicians already supportive of
their cause, trying to convince them to
promote that stance.
In a city that runs on networks, War-
ing and Bank have spent years cultivating
relationships. Their networks span across
congress, the White House and agencies
like the National Science Foundation and
NIH.
A sumber of current Obama adminis-
tration officials are University alumni,
including Cecilia Munoz, director of the
White House Policy Council, and the
president's advisor on education, Roberto
Rodriguez. Both recently spoke on cam-
pus and often work with Waring and Bank
on federal policy.
"As much as we're in the University
business, we're in the people business,"
Waring said. "It's relationships. It's peo-
ple we get to know here in Washington
because when we want to go talk to them,
we want them to be glad we've walked in
the door. They know who we are. They
like us. We like them. We've got this rela-
0--ionship and now we can have a conversa-
tion. Their boss might not vote the way we
want them to vote, but what we are doing
is creating an environment to have that
discussion."
Wilbanks agreed, noting real oppor-
tunities to influence policy emerge from
30relationships molded over long periods.
"The fact is that having staff on the
ground in Washington D.C. gives us an
opportunity over many years to develop
strong relationships with the members
themselves, and equally important, is an
opportunity to have long term relation-
ships with staff," Wilbanks said.
In this way, the University's D.C. office
rarely engages in crisis communication or
calls upon a contact just as a crucial bill
comes to the floor. Rather, congressmen
and their staffs are lobbied constantly.
But even with regular communication,
Wilbanks said the D.C. staff is always
attentive to the legislative agenda, keeping
an eye on opportunities for amendments
that could benefit the University and other
higher education institutions.
The University's interactions in these
spaces are less a favor-for-favor exchange
is something going on at the University
that intersects with federal public pol-
icy, they make sure we know about it in
advance."
For example, during his last State of the
Union, President Obama emphasized the
significance of American manufacturing
and called for the formation of several insti-
tutes to pursue manufacturing innovations.
Currently, the state of Michigan is in the
running for one of these facilities, and the
University is taking the lead in crafting the
state's proposal.
Jordan said it is important Michigan's
congressional delegation has all the infor-
mation they need to focus the Obama
administration's attention on the state's
proposal.
"Up here, accurate information is
the coin of the realm ... What we
really need in order to be effective
is accurate and useful information.
If there is something going on at
the University that intersects with
federal public policy, they make
sure we know about it in advance."
- Tom Jordan, legislative director and science
advisor for Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.)
interaction with Washington to the benefit of
the University."
The D.C. team even assists faculty by
reviewinglanguage in their testimony or pars-
ing through dense, legislative jargon.
"I can't say enough about how important
and how skilled and knowledgeable our Wash-
ington staff is at advocating for the University
of Michigan and the work we do back here in
the state," Molnar said.
Molnar, whose institute focuses on econom-
ic development, not only travels to the capital
to advocate research funding for his institute,
but also to advise members of the federal
government on an array of topics. Currently,
Molnar is working with the Department of
Defense to mitigate the effects of decreasing
military contracts in certain communities.
He said a steady flow of information from
researchers in the field is an invaluable
resource for policymakers.
"They need to depend on reliable informa-
tion from sources they trust to get the knowl-
edge to allow them to do their jobs," he said.
Little part of the world
On nice days, Bank often walks over to the
Longworth House Office Building to grab a
salad for lunch.
In these spaces, she gets a lot of work done
by accident. She'll often run into a congres-
sional staffer, they'll chat and get a meeting
arranged. Advocacy happens all the time -
at social events, on the Hill and in the cafete-
ria at Longworth.
"Those little things happen every day,"
Bank said.
For faculty and administrators in Ann
Arbor, a meeting in D.C. requires planning
weeks in advance. Waring, Bank and Ko can
get to ahearing in five minutes.
The University's field office has become
part of Washington's landscape, a city pop-
ulated by the nation's top policymakers.
Whether the current issue is sequestration
or immigration reform, Waring said creat-
ing a presence for the University remains
important.
"Our goal is still to paint the picture of
what the University is all about - how we
can be successful, how we can help the state
and the country - and how hopefully Con-
gress and these agencies can be a partner in
that," Waring said.
There's a lot at stake. The faculty mem-
ber's groundbreaking research proposal, the
undergraduate's student loan debt and the
future of the University's next great partner-
ship - these roads all cross in a tiny sliver of
former swampland between Maryland and
Virginia.
It becomes clear why the University's D.C.
office takes their conference room Capitol
view so seriously.
"The bottom line is that the University
has been here for almost 200 years, and my
guess is it will be here 200 years more," War-
ing said. "So we're just a small piece of that
success and the success of the University
goes beyond our little part of the world. Our
job is to make our little piece of it works."
"I am thankful that Mujo
Cafe is now open 24/7 on
certain nights of the week.
It's really nice."
Cassandra Cook,
Engineering freshman
statement on the street: What are you thankful for on campus
this Thanksgiving? on the record
"On Main Street and State "I'm part of (Impact)
Street, it's sort of bustling Dance, so I'm very
with activity. That really thankful for that
makes me enjoy heing here." opportunity."
"I lost the game by myself. I fumbled the ball."
- DEVIN GARDNER, redshirtjunior Michiganfootball
quarterback, about Saturday's 24-21loss to Iowa.
"The word 'minority' is glaringly simplistic and should
be problematized so we can end its misuse."
- ZEINAB KHALIL, Daily opinion columnist, on the use of
"minority" following the #BBUM movement.
"We had adversity tonight like we haven't had. And we
just kept plugging away, so it's all good."
- JOHN BEILEIN, Michigan Men's Basketball coach after the
team's 63-61 loss to Charlotte in the championship game of
the Puerto Rico Tip-Off
Will Zhu,
LSA sophomore
Sydney Tucker,
LSA freshman
Awoman in London
named "Isabella" has
lost her boyfriend, and
she just wantsato find
him again. Posters with
Ryan Gosling's face
beneath the headline
"Lost Boyfriend" have
spread across the city,
making men and women
alike exclaim in surprise,
"But wait, that's my
boyfriend!"
World leaders reached a deal with Iran to
freeze its nuclear program for six months.
This is the first time in almost 10 years that
Iran's nuclear program has been interrupted,
according to The New York Times.
3..
1
but rather a series of ongoing symbiotic
interactions.
"It is sort of a two-way street," Bank
said. "We're working on behalf of the Uni-
versity and watching on behalf of the Uni-
versity, but we're also here for members
of Congress and the administration so we
can act as the conduit to campus."
Bank said there are often times when
a congressional staff member pulls her
aside during a bill markup to ask a ques-
tion.
Tom Jordan, legislative director and
science advisor for Rep. Sander Levin (D-
Mich.) said the University's liaisons in
Washington provide congressional staff-
ers with a constant flow of information.
"Up here, accurate information is the
coin of the realm," Jordan said. "We have
lots of people telling us things, but what
we really need in order to be effective is
accurate and useful information. If there
AA to DC
Lawrence Molnar, associate director at the
University's Institute for Research on Labor
Employment and the Economy, travels to D.C.
frequently to work with congressional staffs
and agencies in the executive branch.
He said the University's Washington
staff members frequently assist in arranging
appointments, connecting faculty with key
staffers and helping them navigate the halls of
the House and Senate.
"Our job is to make interactions (of Univer-
sity faculty and students) with Washington
more successful - that's our goal," Waring
said. "Whatever it takes. If that means mak-
ing copies of their testimony if they're here for
a hearing or getting a picture of them doing
something or introducing them to someone
or walking them around the Hill - the expec-
tation is that we're going to improve people's
0 Noma
I
.. 3.
Thought Kanye West's
newest music video for
his single "Bound 2" was
scandalous? Wait until
you see "Bound 3," the
parody version made
by James Franco and
Seth Rogen. Made as a
shot-for-shot mirror of
Kanye's, the duo does
it all. Shirtless Rogen?
Check. Motorcycle?
Check. Intro video
montage with horses?
You betcha.
I
Cue the wedding bells. In the ultimate
adolescent heartbreaker, TV idols SethGohen-
lair W ldorAdam Brody and Leighton
Meester are engaged, merging two iconic teen
soap operas. Who could have predicted the
queen bee and the comic book nerd fall in love?
-o.Q
F