Dennis Hertel: “Thank you, John. The Congress to Campus is the major program of our Association, in conjunction with the Stennis Center…”

“Thank you, John. The Congress to Campus is the major program of our Association, in conjunction with the Stennis Center for Public Service, as was just stated. We send one Republican and one Democratic for 2/2 days to various campuses. I have been fortunate enough to go to South Dakota, Mississippi, North Dakota and Oklahoma with Rod Chandler from Washington State, George Wortley from New York, and John Erlenborn, just 2 weeks ago, to Minnesota. What we do is talk with the students about what our government does and how it works. We are not running from office or seeking anything. They realize that we are going to give them frank answers to their questions. We meet with assemblies, classrooms, small groups and have lunch and dinner with the students. My wife, Cindy, and I have three students in college now, one a first-year law student, and so you can see where our focus and finances are. Sometimes my children ask, where are you going now and why are you going there. They wonder if I have any knowledge to tell these other college students. The truth is, I learn from the students every time. The things that they are talking about, the questions that they are debating, the questions that they ask us provoke us to reflect on what we have done and what Congress is doing today. Mainly, we let them see us as people and tell them our history as to how we got involved and how we were elected to Congress and got involved in the political process.”