A prolonged legal battle over the seating of U.S. Senate designee Roland Burris appears to have been avoided, but you get the feeling that the career of LAS alumnus Jason Abel could still help shape Congress—and soon. Did someone say Al Franken?
As early as this week, Abel, a 2000 graduate in political science and history, will be appointed chief counsel on the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. His new appointment comes during a leadership reshuffling in the Senate, where his employer, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., for whom Abel has provided legal advice since 2007, will soon be named the new committee chairman.
The committee handles a range of duties, including building administration, Congressional organization, corruption, contested elections, and credentials of the Senate members. The last two subjects listed here have received their share of press coverage lately.
In the case of Roland Burris, whom Gov. Rod Blagojevich designated to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s empty Senate seat, Senate members disputed his credentials—his appointment lacked a signature by the Illinois secretary of state. On Monday, however, Senate leadership announced they would seat Burris as the state’s junior senator.
Another prominent case still has the potential to land on Abel’s plate, however. Minnesota’s Al Franken appears to have won a recount by 225 votes in the state’s U.S. Senate election, but his opponent, Republican Norm Coleman, has sued over the result, citing irregularities around the recount.
If Franken’s case is forwarded to the Rules and Administration committee for resolution, Abel could find himself in the mix of sorting through the case’s various legal complications. He’s thus not at liberty to discuss the cases in very specific terms, but he’s long harbored an interest in the intersection of law and politics, and sounds thrilled to be where he is.
Abel was working at a global law firm before he decided to look for jobs on Capitol Hill after the 2006 elections. He saw an advertisement for Schumer’s office in a Senate employment bulletin, and he faxed in his resume. He was offered the job after an interview with Schumer and his chief counsel.
In addition to handling Schumer’s work on the Rules and Administration committee (Schumer was previously a member of the committee), Abel also worked with Schumer on a wide range of issues including commerce (such as transportation and telecommunications), consumer protection, federal benefits for families of fallen firefighters and police officers, and hate crimes legislation.
During the legislative session, Abel says, his new duties will include helping Schumer push various matters of election reform, campaign finance, ethics, and voting rights. That will mean drafting legislation, advising Schumer on policy and political matters, and preparing him for hearings. Abel would also assist any other senators who chaired a hearing before the committee.
“We’re all hopeful and optimistic that with a Democratic congress and a Democratic president, that we can really make a difference, and help a lot of people, ” Abel says. “It’s an exciting time to be in Washington, D.C. ”
