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We got an early start and had breakfast at the Capitol Hill Club with Congressman Devin Nunes, Class 29 CALF Alumnus, who contrasted some of our experiences the previous day with his candid perspective on the Health Care Reform Bill and how it is dominating Capitol Hill. A wonderful breakfast, graciously sponsored by WUD and CDI, was both insightful and educational for the fellows of Class 40.

We then made our way to the International Trade Commission (we are now feeling like seasoned pros on the Metro). Commissioner Irving Williamson, a graduate of the DC Exchange Program, and Catherine DeFilippo, Director of Investigations gave us a historical background of ITC and detailed case studies relevant to agriculture. We grabbed a bite to eat en route to US Department of Health and Human Services for a briefing on health care policy with an Obama Administration Policy Director. Dr. Meena Seshamani, a surgeon and an economist, gave us her perspective into the current health care bill and its impact upon the economy and our society. Unfortunately, two of our fellows were unable to attend this briefing; one due to a misunderstanding in protocols related to foreign national status, and the other, quite frankly, due to racial profiling. It was a sobering and discouraging experience for us, and counter to the objective of empowering our local Californian leaders. Leaving the unfortunate events of HHS behind us, we continued to the White House Council on Environmental Quality for another controversial briefing, this time on climate change policy. Jason Bordoff, the Associate Director for Energy and Climate Change, gave us an overview of the Waxman-Markey Bill which currently is in the legislature. Many of us had questions and concerns about how the potential Cap and Trade Policy might affect agriculture. This is clearly a hot topic today with much uncertainty.

Closing out a day of current issues, we joined our colleagues from the Foundation Fellows Council at the USDA building, along with candidates and alumni from the DC Exchange Program. We also enjoyed meeting members of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership group, who happened to be in DC the same week as us. It was a great experience seeing their excitement and hearing about their program which is modeled after the CALP.

Day 3 began at the Capitol Hill Club and ended with a toast of green beer. We reflected upon the key issues of the day and how they may affect the future of agriculture in California. You had a better chance of seeing a leprechaun ride up on a unicorn than a presiding fellow turning in early on St. Patty’s Day. There are whispers about a late, LATE night monument tour….