Joshua Shields, communications director for freshman Rep. Kristi Noem, is back on Capitol Hill after running the South Dakota Republican’s general election campaign.
Shields said he admires Noem’s ability to juggle a big family — she has three kids and a husband back in South Dakota — and still dedicate herself to Congress. But one bonus of the extended family is an extra energy boost at events.
“Any time we needed a crew for a campaign or something, we immediately had 30 people,” Shields said. “It was like a built-in campaign crowd.”
He said he has been inspired by his hardworking boss to excel in his own duties as communications director, which include writing speeches and managing social media.
But even though he has a self-professed addiction to the campaign trail, Shields is remaining focused on this job, at least for now.
“Campaigns are high-risk, high-reward ventures. Some people thrive under that kind of intensity,” he said. “But one of the best things about working on the Hill is that no two days are the same. Every day is an adventure.”
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Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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