Defense: 10 Staffers to Know
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After the Senate wraps up the defense authorization bill, Seraphin said he plans to continue focusing on next-generation threat capabilities and other IT initiatives.
Jenness Simler, professional staff, House Armed Services Committee, minority
Age: 35
Birthplace: Okinawa, Japan (raised in Mississippi)
Education: B.S., Millsaps College; M.B.A., University of Maryland at College Park
Jenness Simler has made a name for herself this year on defense acquisition reform.
Once the issue was brought up by the new administration, Simler led the GOP staff in outlining part of the procurement reform legislation, a bill that was ultimately signed into law this year.
Simler joined the committee in 2005, leading the minority on the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces. There, she oversees Navy and Marine Corps procurement and research and development programs.
She also is a member of the policy staff for the full committee.
“The staff here is so much fun,” she said. “We work long, tough days, and we view this as our way of giving back.”
Before joining the committee, Simler worked on the Combating Terrorism Technology Task Force within the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
She also worked at the Office of Naval Research, where she was responsible for the Navy’s Manufacturing Technology Program in advanced composite materials and joining technologies.
An industry consultant who has worked with her said Simler “possesses the cherished ability to dig deep into program details and to translate issues into a language the rest of the universe can understand.”
Bob Simmons, staff director, House Armed Services Committee, minority
Age: 53
Birthplace: Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Education: B.S., San Diego State University
As the top GOP staffer on House Armed Services, Bob Simmons plans and implements the agenda and operations of the minority, including passage of the annual defense authorization bill.
He has been leading the minority staff since 2005, after being recruited by former Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.).
Prior to coming to Washington, Simmons ran Senior Aerospace, a leading aerospace manufacturer in San Diego.
Simmons maintains a friendly, laid-back work environment, something he hopes will encourage his staff to enjoy their time at work, especially when they stay long hours putting together the defense authorization bill.
Industry observers say Simmons plays an important role on the Hill, handling the transition of ranking members when Rep. Howard McKeon (R-Calif.) took over for Rep. John McHugh (R-N.Y.), who has been nominated to become secretary of the Army.
When lobbyists approach him, Simmons said, his priority is to connect them with the Member who handles a specific issue.
After settling with his family in a Maryland suburb, Simmons still considers himself an outsider on the Beltway scene. “I’m not a legacy Hill person. And to get results here, I manage employees’ needs, and that includes ensuring the staff has time to spend with their family,” he said.
John Wason, professional staff, House Armed Services Committee, minority
Age: 46
Birthplace: Fort Ord, Calif.
Education: B.A.,California State University; M.S., Florida Institute of Technology
Military: Lt. Col., Army (retired)
Wason sees his work on the committee as a natural extension of his many years of military service, which allows him to be “intertwined with my former colleagues, who are either in Iraq or Afghanistan or at the Pentagon. This job allows me to take trips to see what’s working and what isn’t working,” he added.
A military equipment expert, Wason said the Armed Services panel is sorting through how to shift defense spending from supplemental spending bills to the regular budget process.
Despite policy differences, he said majority and minority staffers work particularly well together on hardware issues — so much so, in fact, that “in many cases you couldn’t tell the difference between the majority staff and the minority staff.”
“With the tightening of the economy and the direction of the new administration, how will the Army be able to migrate from that supplemental funding into the base budget?” he said.
“The reality is Congress needs to watch that debate.”
Schumer Advocates for Many on Panel
Nov. 16, 12 a.m.
As Senate Majority Leader, Lyndon Johnson once said of the Joint Economic Committee, “It’s as useless as tits on a bull.” But as that panel’s chairman during the 110th Congress, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) seized the opportunity to elevate the traditionally low-profile post to the forefront of shaping policy. Read Full Article
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