Description

Since 1983, the Aspen Institute’s Congressional Program has convened high–level educational conferences for Members of Congress on critical policy issues. By bringing Members together with leaders from the academy, business and government, the conferences help to develop a well–informed, bipartisan core group of legislators who can take a leading role in designing realistic and effective policies. The Luce Foundation has supported the Program since 2007. 
 
 With few venues for Members of Congress to engage with one another on a collegial basis, and even fewer opportunities to take time for in–depth study of issues or discussion with experts, the Program aims to promote civility and serious analysis in several formats. Each year Aspen organizes three or four conferences outside of Washington, DC, 24 breakfast meetings in the U.S. Capitol, and additional programs for congressional staff. The programs bring together Republicans and Democrats, senior chairpersons and relative newcomers, and Members of the Senate and the House. All meetings are off–the–record and structured not as debates but as dialogues. International participants are invited as experts, enriching the discussion and providing Members with perspectives they would not normally encounter. 
 
In 2021, despite the pandemic, Aspen held three in-person convenings and hosted virtual and, in December, in-person breakfast meetings, In 2022, Aspen plans to hold five conferences for Members of Congress, including sessions on US policy in the Middle East, digital privacy, and US China strategy. The topics for 2023 conferences will be finalized at a later date. Following each conference, reports are published that include the scholars’ papers and the rapporteur’s summary. The Aspen Institute distributes these to all Members of the House and Senate, to senior Administration officials, and to other leading figures in the academic and policy communities. In addition, the scholars’ papers are disseminated on the Institute’s website.  
 
Since the Congressional Program’s inception, the program has grown to be an influential public policy series with a proven record of effectiveness. The Congressional Program played a pivotal role in major legislative initiatives such as No Child Left Behind, sparked a bipartisan effort resulting in a $35 million increase in the annual Peace Corps budget, helped release federal funds for international family planning initiatives, and the Nunn– Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. Participants in the conferences and breakfasts include 50 sitting Senators and 184 Representatives – 43% of the current Congress. 
 
Charlie Dent was named Executive Director of the Congressional Program in 2021. A former Member of Congress, where he served for 14 years, Dent chaired the House ethics committee and the veterans’ affairs subcommittee of Appropriations. Prior to that, Dent served in the Pennsylvania House and Senate for 14 years.