Capitol Conference Day 2: General Session

Well, the day certainly kicked off with a bang, as our first speaker was newly-elected Senator Scott Brown (R-MA). Everyone was incredibly excited to hear him speak, as the mere announcement of his arrival resulted in a standing ovation! He had some great messages to pass along to our members, saying he was elected because people are tired of politics as usual, tired of the lack of transparency and tired of backroom deals. Brown said he was sent here as a message that people expect us to do better, to stop the gridlock that so often occurs when opposing parties try (or don't try) to work together. He said we can do better than the current health reform bills, that the American people deserve better, and that it's not too late to do better.

Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) followed Senator Brown. Nelson discussed the difficulty of health care reform, describing it as "trying to run a 100 yard dash in a 90 yard gymnasium." However, Nelson also offered hope for the two parties working together, though he said Congress needs to stop wrangling and finger-pointing in order to find ways to work together. He said our congressional leaders need to stop worrying about who gets the credit or who gets blamed, and rather focus on who ends up reaping the benefit of the work that is done: the American people.

Representative Mike Pence (R-IN) was the perhaps the most well-received speaker of the day. When the members weren't rolling in the aisles from his claim that he and Scott Brown are physical twins, he was offering tips on how best to have our voices heard by Congress. Pence acknowledged this critical time in the nation and industry, and said that when NAHU members speak to their congressmen and women, they need to speak from their hearts--not their talking points. He said D.C. is 32 square miles surrounded by reality, and NAHU members need to be ambassadors from reality. When speaking with congressional representatives, it's important to share stories of clients who will be affected by the decisions that are going to be made in Congress. When a person is elected to Congress, they are elected to represent what is in their constituents' best interests. NAHU members will be representatives when they go to the Hill, but Pence believes they will be representatives not of an industry, but rather of a way of life. If they can hold this in their hearts and show their congressmen and women just how true that is, there is no way they cannot succeed.

Perhaps Pence's final words best summed up the true mission of our Capitol Conference: "Go armed with experience and sincerity, and do freedom's work."