Every day, lawmakers in Washington, D.C., make decisions on important issues impacting the health and welfare of veterans, yet only 18.7 percent of Congress and 1 percent of their staff members have served in the military.*

DAV is helping to change that.

The organization has partnered with HillVets, a bipartisan group of veterans, service members and supporters empowering veterans through networking, community involvement and education in the nation’s capital, to bring more veterans to Capitol Hill.

In 2015, HillVets announced plans for a fellowship opportunity that would bring more veterans to Capitol Hill. The HillVets House Fellowship kicked off in July 2016, and DAV signed on as a sponsor. The men and women selected for the program are placed in a full-time fellowship at a congressional office and spend a portion of their time working directly with their sponsored organization.

Six veterans are serving in the inaugural class, which will conclude in February. HillVets plans to grow the number of participants in future classes, enabling more veterans to share their skills with lawmakers.

“DAV understands the value of the veteran voice on Capitol Hill,” said HillVets Chairman of the Board and Executive Director Justin Brown. “Astonishingly, 99 percent of Capitol Hill staff have no military experience, a concerning notion when you consider more than 60 percent of the annual budget is related to military service in some way. We are honored to have the support of DAV and its incredible members in taking on this mission.”

“Teaming up with HillVets was a natural partnership for us,” said DAV Washington Headquarters Executive Director Garry Augustine. “Veterans bring invaluable experience and a unique skill set to the legislative process. The HillVets House Fellowship is increasing the number of men and women who want to continue to serve the nation after hanging up their uniform.”

DAV is providing two of the fellows a firsthand look into how to best advocate for their brothers- and sisters-in-arms.

Michael Songer and Aaron Kleiman, who both served in the Air Force, work four days each week on Capitol Hill and spend a fifth day at DAV’s National Service and Legislative Headquarters.

Songer works in the office of Sen. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, where he reviews, recommends and advises staff on veterans issues, including proposals to enhance policy and legislation. A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Songer engages with constituents and stakeholders on issues impacting veterans and drafted the New Jersey veterans handbook.

“Being able to support constituents who served has been so meaningful, and working with DAV has helped me become a stronger advocate for my fellow veterans,” said Songer. “It’s been a real eye-opening experience to see how everything works on Capitol Hill.”

Kleiman, who is currently serving as a major in the Air National Guard, works for Rep. Tim Walz, of Minnesota, an Army National Guard veteran who serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Kleiman’s portfolio includes military and veterans’ issues but also encompasses various other policy areas.

“Gaining different perspectives firsthand from both Congress and the executive branch is important,” explained Kleiman, who flew more than 200 combat missions with the special operations community during his five deployments to Afghanistan and Africa.

Kleiman said this experience allows him to see not only how policy is developed, but also to understand the intention behind those policy decisions and ultimately how it is implemented.

“What we see in the military at that tactical level may not be what the strategic leaders had in mind,” continued Kleiman. “So having people on the Hill who understand the correlation between the vision of where lawmakers wanted a policy to go and how that reality plays out beyond the beltway is important.”

Right now, that veteran view among staffers is hard to find.

“Having a staff member with the ability to tell their principal, ‘That is great intent, but let me give you insight on how I think this is going to play out when it gets to that lieutenant level or to the sergeant on the front lines,’ is invaluable,” added Kleiman.

Members of Congress carry vast portfolios and juggle various policy areas, so having knowledgeable, well-rounded staff is essential, explained DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem.

Ilem and her staff work closely with Kleiman and Songer each week and provide them an opportunity to gain perspective from the advocacy angle.

“On the Hill, you don’t really get to experience the advocacy side of things, so being able to see how DAV looks at a bill and evaluates how it impacts members has been enlightening,” said Songer.

“There is a perspective lacking in D.C., and that’s the military and veteran view,” he continued. “It’s something you don’t see enough, considering it is the service members and veterans who experienced and sacrificed based on decisions made here. We need to bridge that gap.”

Both Kleiman and Songer said they would recommend the HillVets House Fellowship to veterans pursuing a future in policy.

“At any given time, there are various bills and policies being crafted and amended that impact veterans across the country,” said Ilem. “Having Capitol Hill staff who served in the military, personally understand and are even impacted by a policy helps shed light for lawmakers on what the legislative outcome will mean for our nation’s heroes.”

“DAV played an integral role in this fellowship,” said Songer. “I can’t thank them enough for making it possible to bring more veterans onto Capitol Hill. The door is open. Now we just need to get as many people through as possible.”