Friday February 10, 2012
02-09-2012Crapo moves iTownhall Forum to February 29
Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has rescheduled his first statewide telephone iTownhall meeting of 2012 from Wednesday, February...(More)
02-09-2012 Crapo Schedules iTownhall Forum for February 15
Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senator Mike Crapo has set his first statewide telephone iTownhall meeting of 2012 for Wednesday, February 15,...(More)
02-07-2012 Crapo Welcomes Spring Interns to D.C. Office
Washington, D.C. – Three Idaho students and one student from Australia are experiencing the opportunity to observe the inner workings...(More)
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01/31/2012-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 31 January 2012
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11/29/2011-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 29 November 2011
11/15/2011-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 15 November 2011
11/08/2011-Senator Mike Crapo's Weekly Teleconference on issues before the U.S. Senate, 8 November 2011
Intern Blog
Each week the interns in my Washington, DC, office share some of their thoughts, experiences and impressions about their internship. On this page, you will find entries from the interns who are working in my office in the current semester. To read entries from previous semesters, please visit the Intern Blog Archives.
February 6, 2012
I have just completed my third week of this internship. I really feel like I am mastering all of my tasks and I am enjoying the many aspects of this internship. The phone calls are going well, it is always fun to hear the phone ring and not know what to expect. I am also taking care of a lot of flag requests, which are very enjoyable. I got to see a roll call vote, which was a fun experience, it was nice to see in-person all of the Senators that I have seen on TV so many times. I was also able to meet two Senators; I met Senator Lee from Utah, at his constituent Jell-O Wednesday. It was really nice to meet him and it was also enjoyable to trade stories with the interns from his office. I also met Senator Casey from Pennsylvania when he came into the office, and like Senator Lee, he was a very nice and personable man. I am really enjoying this experience and am excited for the next few months.
Taylor Richert, University of Idaho, Boise
February 3, 2012
I am now over halfway through my internship in Senator Crapo’s office. The time has gone by so fast here and I’ll be back home before I know it. Working in scheduling has its busy moments and requires a great amount of concentration. I’ve certainly learned a lot from Karen about organization and paying attention to detail. The trip to Philadelphia over the weekend was interesting and we had great weather whilst there too. This weekend I’ll be going to Baltimore to visit relatives and enjoy some good cooking. I’ve noticed that the cafeteria makes exactly the same sandwiches every day, and Baltimore will undoubtedly provide me with more variety. I have thoroughly enjoyed my internship thus far and have had the opportunity to enhance my knowledge of the U.S. political system by attending a Congressional education forum and observing a Senate vote. Having worked on the Senator’s scheduling for some time now, I’ve discovered that the Senator is always occupied and has a complex job representing the people of Idaho. The Senator certainly has some admirable qualities with the way he conducts himself in his profession.
Chris Colalillo, The University of Western Australia, WA, Australia
February 3, 2012
Things are picking up in the office. I feel accustomed to D.C. by now, but some things still catch me off guard. Attending a hearing and then seeing that same hearing in the news is one of them. This week, I went to a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Ukraine, and saw news reports about them later that day. The heads of the intelligence community (David Patreaus from the CIA and Robert Muller from the FBI) were at the intelligence hearing, and a lot of the official Ukrainian diplomatic delegation representatives were at the foreign relations hearing. I had jell-o with Sen. Mike Lee from Utah as well. Senator Lee’s forum was a new experience, but fun. It’s been a good week.
Ryan Andersen, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg
February 1, 2012
I just completed the second week of my internship with Senator Crapo. I enjoyed this week, which was much more quiet than the last, largely because of the indefinite delay of the SOPA and PIPA legislation that so many people had strong opinions about. I received Capital tour training and I am excited about the possibility of giving my first tour sometime in the near future. My fellow interns and I had the opportunity to meet Senator Crapo on Thursday, and the meeting was quite pleasant. We each got to ask him a question, and it was interesting to hear his responses, as he answered a lot of questions about what led him to become a Senator, some of his greatest accomplishments and what plans he had to try to fix the economy. As someone who is very interested in being an elected official, it was interesting to hear how he chose this path and what he has done and plans to do to help America succeed. I look forward to the next few weeks and I am just generally very excited to be here.
Taylor Richert, University of Idaho, Boise
January 27, 2012
The events of my second week serving as an intern here in Senator Crapo’s DC office were everything from challenging to surprisingly fun, but reliably, all edifying. A couple of the highlights are as follows: I gave my first tour to a group of six visitors to the area just two days after some brief, but thorough instruction on providing tours of the Capitol building. Admittedly, I felt the usual symptoms of stage fright. However, I managed to give, as one of the group members declared, “The best tour ever!” Ok, so he was nine. But still, it was reassuring to know I had given them a positive, memorable experience. I was also very pleased to meet and greet the man whom I work for, the Senator himself. A lot of people seem to maintain this idea of their congressmen as pompous windbags who exude an air of exaggerated self-importance and with disconcertingly little time and attention readily paid to their constituents. My impression of Senator Crapo was in striking opposition to this viewpoint. The Senator was gracious, intelligent and eager to answer all of our questions in very well-articulated responses. Despite the short time-slot we were allocated with Senator Crapo, I was extremely gratified by the end of our meeting to know that all of my efforts are going toward aiding someone respectable and beneficial to the representation of Idaho.
Carrie O’Brien, University of Idaho, Coeur d’Alene
January 27, 2012
This week has been the busiest thus far. The amount of faxes I dealt with post-State of the Union was unprecedented and took me over three hours to complete. The pace of the office is extremely fast with people always on the move - going to meetings and exchanging information. I met Senator Crapo on Thursday and had my photo with him, which I will have framed when I return to Australia. I visited Gettysburg over the weekend. It was an amazing experience as we relived the battle with our energetic tour guide. My favorite part of this week by far was eating a pulled-pork sandwich with barbecue sauce for lunch on Tuesday – it was delicious! It’s very hectic back here in the scheduling department, leaving me worn out and gasping for oxygen by the end of the day, but satisfied that I am helping Senator Crapo at the same time. This weekend I will be travelling to Philadelphia to visit the sites where this nation was founded. It should be enjoyable.
Chris Colalillo, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
January 27, 2012
Things are starting to pick up with a session of Capitol Tour training highlighting the week. As we walked around the Capitol rotunda, the old House and Supreme Court chambers, as well as the current chambers, I felt a certain appreciation for American history .The tunnels leading to the Capitol and House office buildings still seem like uncharted caverns, though, but it’s getting easier to navigate. Two other things stand out as well: the Senate Budget Committee meeting and our opportunity to sit down with Senator Crapo. The Budget Committee was a good experience for a number of reasons:
1) I got to be on whatever CSPAN channel it was on;
2) I was able to see how the Senate functions in a committee setting; and
3) The deficit, debt and budget are all very significant issues right now, and seeing the committee discuss them was really interesting and informative.
Meeting Senator Crapo was a highlight as well. I was impressed by his knowledge of important issues, like the budget, and also how he started his political career at the local level. Overall, it was a great week.
Ryan Andersen, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg
January 23, 2012
After a few initial days of learning to navigate the streets and subways of DC, the labyrinthine halls and corridors of the Capitol building, as well as the outward complexities of the tasks allocated to me, I have quickly become acclimated to my course as an intern here in our country’s political hub. In no time at all, I have already been witness to some of the action which regularly occurs here in a city electrified by a concentration of so many differing ideologies. On my very first day, media attention spotlighted the ‘Occupy Congress’ protests which took place right on my doorstep, so to speak. This was overshadowed somewhat by the wrestling match that transpired between Congress and the invisible giants that preside over our greatest source of free knowledge: the internet. After a considerable backlash against these bills from the public, as well as the much beloved Wikipedia, Google and other such sites, Congress extinguished the torch on both SOPA and PIPA, though the nails on this coffin have all but sealed it. Let’s not forget the ongoing race within the GOP for the next Republican presidential candidate. I must admit, I couldn’t have been selected for this internship at a more opportune time. With all that is going on here in our nation’s capital, I anticipate that this experience will be one of the most memorable and invaluable of my life.
Carrie O’Brien, University of Idaho, Coeur d’Alene
January 20, 2012
By the end of today, I will be one third of the way through my internship here. The first two weeks have been slow paced as the Senate is not yet in session, however, it has started to get busier this week. Dealing with meeting and event requests has ocupied the majprity of my time in this office thus far and requires concentration. Since being here, I have learned various administrative skills that will undoubtedly be of use when I return to Australia in March. The staffers in this office are very welcoming and friendly, making my transition into this office easy. Next week the Senate will be back in session and things will start to get chaotic in the office I am told, but I am sure that the skills I have gained so far will enable me to overcome any potential challenges I encounter in this office. Next week I will be meeting Senator Crapo, which is something that I am looking forawrd to.
Chris Colalillo, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
January 20, 2012
This first week was interesting. A lot of things stand out to me–finding my way around the labyrinth of Senate and House office buildings and underground tunnels beneath the Capitol, eating in the Senate cafeteria and navigating DC’s metro to name a few–but two come to mind in particular: PIPA and Occupy Congress. Both stand out because these were national headlines that were happening right where I was. It was a little surreal watching coverage of the Occupy protests on the news, and then seeing it as I walked home from work; and the same is true for hearing coverage of PIPA/SOPA, and then answering some of the many protest calls that came to the office. DC really is where it all happens.
Ryan Andersen, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Rexburg
January 20, 2012
I just finished my first week of this internship with Senator Crapo in his Washington, D.C. office. I have enjoyed this week and am definitely looking forward to the next few months. I’ve explored the various tunnels underneath the House and Senate buildings and I’m looking forward to getting lost in these tunnels again. I was also able to meet some of the interns and employees of the other members of the Idaho delegation such as the employees of Senator Jim Risch, Congressman Mike Simpson and Congressman Raul Labrador. I look forward to working with them more closely to help Idaho constituents.
This week I had an interesting baptism by fire in the practice of answering constituents phone calls. Wednesday was my first day answering phones and I quickly learned that a lot of Idaho residents feel very strongly about the Protect IP bill, commonly known as PIPA. The overwhelming majority of the constituents that I talked to were against it, and while a few of the callers were not particularly pleasant, I largely enjoyed listening to their opinions. Many of the callers had a significant amount of knowledge about the bill, and I felt proud to be part of a state where people are educated about the main issues facing Congress and are also passionate enough to make their opinions heard. I’m really excited about the opportunity to continue to work with the people of Idaho on the issues that they feel strongly about.
Taylor Richert, University of Idaho, Boise
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