By Susan Peterson

Gazette Staff

So, you are newly elected to Congress. You have won the approval of your district after campaigning at community breakfasts and county fairs. You have given speeches and participated in debates, and now you're ready to begin a job at one of the most important institutions in the country.

But do you know exactly how to do your new job?

Suddenly, it's like going to college once again, where the rules from home don't necessarily apply. Now, as one of 435, you have to get along. Be polite. Take turns. Don't lie.

Simple as this advice seems, it was offered to more than 40 new congressional representatives during the 1996 Program for Newly-Elected Members of Congress, at the Kennedy School of Government's Institute of Politics (IOP), held Dec. 11-14. The bipartisan orientation offered an opportunity for these new representatives to discuss issues and protocol that they might otherwise have had to learn on the job.

The IOP has conducted the program since 1972, with sessions on the budget process, foreign policy, and other current issues, such as Medicare.

Speakers included Harvard faculty, former members of Congress, Cabinet officials, and journalists, among others.

"Regardless of party, among the most important things are relationships," said Sheila Burke, executive dean of the Kennedy School, and panel moderator for the session, "The White House and Congressional Relations." Burke is former chief of staff to Sen. Bob Dole.

Each panelist offered practical suggestions and advice based on their experience working with Congress.

"Pick your shots carefully," recommended Roger Porter, IBM Professor of Business and Government; director for Business and Government, Kennedy School of Government; and former assistant to President Bush for Economic and Domestic Policy. "In Congress, as in life, first impressions are important," he continued. "Do you keep your word? Do you have ideas worth considering? If you play it straight, it helps make people more responsive and receptive to your ideas."

George Stephanopoulos, former senior adviser to President Clinton, recommended a "variation on the squeaky wheel," when discussing issues.

"Be judicious," he said. "Rather than constantly coming back on a lot of different issues [to the White House] pick one issue for your district and one personnel matter that you care about." He added, "You have much more power than an incoming class usually has because of the balance of the margin between the Republicans and the Democrats, and I urge you to use it."

With the narrow nine-vote margin in Congress, panelists encouraged bipartisan discussion among members.

"You have the largest minority in the House of Representatives in 40 years," said Thomas O'Donnell, former chief of staff to Minority Leader Richard Gephardt. "You have a lot of big issues in front of you, and if you're going to be able to tackle these issues, you're going to have to do it in a bipartisan way."

Newly elected member Carolyn McCarthy, D-N.Y., summed it up this way: "The good thing is, we're talking."

Other new members saw the orientation as a learning experience.

"The orientation was very productive and enjoyable," said John Sununu, MBA '91, R-N.H. "The IOP put together a very strong panel of speakers that provided new members with a wealth of experience and understanding that they wouldn't have had immediate access to during the campaigns.

"Of particular value to me were sessions on the budget process, a strong presentation on Medicare, and a session on working with the White House," he continued. "I give credit to Phil Sharp and the IOP staff who worked hard to create both a substantive and bipartisan program."

One new member, Jim Turner D-Texas, took advantage of the session to visit with his son, John '97, a social studies concentrator from Eliot House.

The elder Turner commented on his Harvard experience:

"It was impressive to see the commitment of Harvard University and the Kennedy School of Government," the congressman said. "The quality of panelists was extremely high. As a freshman member, being exposed to the expertise on all the panels gave us a head start on critical issues that we're going to face in Congress."