Lobbyist sells Penn to Washington

WASHINGTON -- Union Station is quiet just after 8 a.m. November 1, with Capitol Hill staffers and other political insiders only beginning to stream in from their homes in suburban Maryland and Virginia. One man, however, has traveled a few more miles than most. David Morse, the University's associate vice president for policy planning, arrived on the 6:45 a.m. Amtrak Metroliner from Philadelphia. Dressed in a dark suit and bow tie, Morse looks like an attorney, academic or business executive. He describes himself as a "staff member" -- a representative of University President Judith Rodin who divides his time between Philadelphia and the nation's capital. But don't be fooled by Morse's title. He is a lobbyist, and his efforts help the University bring in -- and retain -- more than $200 million in federal support each year. Morse gained an extensive knowledge of the federal process during years as an aide to former Senators Robert Stafford and Jacob Javits. Now he uses his expertise to help the University on a multitude of issues -- ranging from the federal tax code to immigration regulations for international scholars. "A modern university depends very substantially on the federal government," said Terry Hartle, vice president of the American Council on Education's governmental relations division. "In an era of rapid political change, places like Penn need people like David Morse more than ever before," Hartle added. Morse is "well-known and well-respected" because of his history on the Hill, according to Hartle. Because they receive substantial federal funding for student aid and scientific research, most large research universities employ someone like Morse, Hartle added. Within the Ivy League, Morse said, Princeton and Harvard universities have permanent offices in Washington. Cornell and Brown universities are among the schools that send a representative on an as-needed basis, often two to three times per week. "You don't just read The Washington Post to find out what's going on -- you have to be down here," Hartle said. "It's an expensive and extensive undertaking." During a recent day on the Hill, Morse ran into colleagues from a number of schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin. But with the Republican party firmly in control of Congress and the nation's purse strings, the halls of power have not been hospitable to higher education this year, according to Hartle. "A lot of things we thought would always be there are suddenly in jeopardy," Hartle said. Still, Morse and his peers are obliged to keep plugging away, meeting with the committee staffers, aides and counselors who make things happen on the Hill. In fact, Morse said, it is relatively rare for him to meet with House members and Senators -- except members of the Pennsylvania delegation, whom he sees when they visit Philadelphia. "My job is to understand the issues, convey the interests of students and faculty," he said. But when funds for science-related programs are in jeopardy, Rodin and University Board of Trustees Chairperson Roy Vagelos may be called in to see members because of both their positions at the University and their expertise in the field, Morse said. "You never know from day to day what's going to be at the top of the agenda," Hartle said. On this day on the Hill, though, funding for student aid was at the top of Morse's list of issues of concern. From Pell Grants to Perkins Loans, many programs that make college a reality for low- and middle-income families across the country had been candidates for elimination, to achieve a balanced federal budget within seven years. As House and Senate conference committees engaged in the reconciliation process, inching closer to agreement on what would be slashed and what would remain intact, Morse was busy trying to gain perspective on what legislators' decisions would mean for the University and its students. He met first with Sally Stroup, majority director for higher education of the House Committee on Economic and Educational Opportunities. Chaired by Pennsylvania Republican Bill Goodling, this committee was working to iron out a position on direct lending, a program that allows students to borrow money for education directly from the government. Supporters of the program said it saves students time and money, while detractors claim it is a business in which the government should not be directly involved. The government shutdown that occurred yesterday was only a nebulous possibility at the time of Morse's visit, and even Republican staffers like Stroup expressed hopes that Congress would approve -- and President Clinton would sign -- a continuing resolution to raise the debt ceiling and keep budget talks and federal programs going. Research funding was on the agenda before lunch, when Morse met with Tony McCann, staff assistant for the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee. McCann reassured Morse about the status of funding for the National Institutes of Health, and agreed with Stroup about the uncertainty reigning on the Hill -- but also temporarily confused Penn with Penn State. Morse shrugged that off; he said it doesn't happen much. Lunch was a quick bite in the Rayburn House Office Building Cafeteria. This day, Morse was joined by New York Republican Rep. Sherwood Boehlert's chief of staff, who is on leave from Penn's graduate program in history. On other days, Morse said, he meets over a meal with the "Ivy Plus" groups of lobbyists and public relations officers to exchange ideas. The pace of Morse's appointments sped up during the afternoon. He checked in with staffers on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education -- again in an attempt to obtain some solid knowledge about the budget. "We've got $800 million less to spend, and I don't see how we get there," said one staffer, who asked that his name not be used. After pressing his case at Republican offices all day, Morse headed to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, where he found a friendly face in Chief Education Counsel Clayton Spencer. Before catching the Metroliner home, Morse met with David Warren, president of the National Association of Colleges and Universities. Warren's group has spear-headed the Alliance to Save Student Aid, a grass-roots advocacy group with chapters on many campuses across the country. With darkness falling on damp Washington streets, Morse updated Warren on what he had heard on the Hill. The men agreed that although the situation was better than they could have anticipated last year, nothing could be taken for granted.

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