An Intern's-Eye View: 2024 Chesapeake Bay Day on the Hill

In the halls of Congress last week, I spotted four American Legion veterans, three cowboys, two brain injury researchers, and a peanut farmer. It was the Choose Clean Water Coalition’s 13th annual Chesapeake Bay Day on the Hill (affectionately called “Lobby Day”), and I was there along with nearly 100 Coalition members to ask our representatives to protect the rivers and streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

A Pennsylvania team outside the Capitol.

It was an interesting, fast-paced, nostalgic day for me. I hadn’t been inside the House or Senate in years – my last visit being with a college International Relations class – but I grew up on Capitol Hill, and my parents actually met on the fifth floor of the Longworth House Office Building. Returning as a nonprofit intern to the stomping grounds of my childhood was a full-circle moment. I drove home that evening with fresh blisters on my feet, a delightfully restocked cache of people-watching anecdotes, and the realization that I have completely taken for granted how incredible it is to be able to march up to my federal government and ask for what I want.

A Virginia team with Rep. Wittman (R-VA).

And what did we want this year? Our advocates had a number of “asks” for their representatives, most of them in the name of maintaining or, in some cases, increasing funding for federal programs. They lobbied for $93 million in critical funding for the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program, $15 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake WILD program, full funding and implementation of the conservation programs under the new Farm Bill, and the creation of a Chesapeake National Recreation Area. These programs will, by and large, help to improve Bay region communities, protect local waterways, and create good jobs. By the end of the day, our advocates had held meetings with 45 of the 49 House and Senate offices in the Bay watershed. The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed will hold three additional meetings at their Lobby Day this week, discussing asks relevant for both the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River watersheds.

Coalition Director Kristin Reilly and Rep. Sarbanes (D-MD).

Nine members of Congress spoke during the Coalition’s luncheon, and the Coalition also honored three members of the Chesapeake delegation that are retiring this year. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) were recognized as “Chesapeake Champions” for their significant contributions to the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort throughout their careers. It was inspiring and encouraging for me to witness the broad bipartisan support for our mission; it’s easy to agree on the need for clean water, even if the manner of achieving it may differ slightly.

It sounds like the set-up to a bad joke: what did nearly 100 environmentalists, four veterans, three cowboys, two brain injury researchers, and a peanut farmer have in common? They were all (presumably) exercising their right to petition their government for what they need and want. Or maybe they were just there to bask in the chaos of the Longworth Dunkin’. Regardless, it’s a beautiful thing that people can choose to do so. Thank you to everyone that attended our 2024 Chesapeake Bay Day on the Hill – we hope to see you again next year!