Georgetown’s relationship with the federal government entails more than sending students to internships and graduates to Congress; in fact, the relationship is much more complicated than that, involving millions of dollars in research grants and hard fights over legislation to protect both students and the university.
The man tasked with monitoring all these efforts is Scott Fleming (SFS ‘72), the Assistant to the President for Federal Relations. A high-level Education Department official during the Clinton administration and long-time Congressional staffer, Fleming returned to his alma mater in 2001 to advocate for the University full-time, convincing Congress to support Georgetown scholarship.
“I see myself as a connect-the-dots kind of guy,” Fleming, a registered lobbyist, said.
Right now, Fleming is working hard on appropriations reauthorizations bills. These bills let executive departments like Health and Human Services and Education give research grants to Georgetown scholars and centers, as well as financial aid to Georgetown students. Fleming must convince members of Congress to protect Georgetown’s projects, often at the expense of pork barrel spending back home or budget cuts.
At the end of 2005, Georgetown students were part of a national reaction to proposed cuts in student financial aid. The Georgetown University Student Association, Georgetown College Democrats and others rallied on the steps of Congress and lobbied their members of Congress. Fleming acted as a resource for these students, offering advice on effective lobbying and speaking to sympathetic members on the hill.
Unlike his more famous colleagues (Jack Abramoff ring a bell?) in the now-embattled profession of lobbying, Fleming doesn’t have a million dollar Political Action Committee at his disposal. Instead, he works with coalitions of students and other colleges, sends letters to lawmakers and tries to show the results of Georgetown programs.
“I believe that the more people know about the good things happening at Georgetown, the better it is for everybody,” Fleming said. “What could be better [for America’s image] than having students go to Senegal and study there?”
Fleming works with a number of Georgetown alumni on the Hill, including leading Democrats Senator Richard Durbin (Conn.) and Representative Steny Hoyer (M.D.).
He works hard to develop strong relationships with these legislators, who are more likely to understand the importance of supporting the University. Fleming does do his fair (and legal) share of glad-handing, as well.
“The most I do is take a few people to basketball games,” Fleming said.
Fleming says he loves his job, perhaps more than most lobbyists, because every day he gets to work for causes he believes in: improving higher education and supporting research, some of it groundbreaking.
