Name: Karen Christian
Occupation: General counsel for the House Energy and Commerce Committee
Alma Mater: Ohio University undergrad, Ohio State University for law school
Age: 43
Hometown: Lancaster, Ohio
Washington Examiner: When did you join the Energy and Commerce Committee?
Christian: I joined in 2006, and I stayed until now. I did investigations [for the committee] from 2006 through 2014.
Washington Examiner: What was the biggest investigation that you worked on at the committee?
Christian: The Solyndra [a scandal involving an energy startup that got $535 million in federal funding] investigation was mine.
The thing I love [about investigations] is that it is harder to argue with facts when you have policy arguments. I think they are the best illustration. Policy debates are informed by philosophy, but when members are armed with a real story, facts about how the law has worked or not worked, then they are in a much better place.
I think the stimulus was a frustrating law. The Democrats didn’t do any oversight of it. There were a lot of stories about how it wasn’t working well or money wasn’t going where it was intended. When you get a good case study that shows how a program or policy ended up working out, then I think members have a better appreciation or understanding of it.
Washington Examiner: When the committee’s part of the American Health Care Act was debated in March, your committee held one of the longest markups in congressional history at 27 hours. What was your role as general counsel during the markup?
Christian: Part of your job as general counsel is pressure testing. You just make sure all of the talking points are ready and that our members are armed with those things and understand them.
You have to anticipate the wrenches. Some of it is “What do the rules allow the chair to do?” and the second question is “What should the chair do?” You learn the text of the bill to see what [the other side] try to do on amendments and handle those arguments.
The rules are built to give the minority an opportunity to complain. You could see they were prepped to have a lot of debate and a long debate.
Washington Examiner: Were you expecting the markup to go 27 hours?
Christian: We thought it would be a tough markup. Our members were prepped, and our staff was prepped. Our thought was it was going to be quite long. Our members were in a very good place. They knew that it was going to happen, and they were ready.
Washington Examiner: How did you endure the markup?
Christian: I have three kids. Sleep is a luxury.
[Staff] took turns a little bit. I hit my wall at about 7 in the morning. I was really tired. I was going to shut my eyes for 30 minutes. Just as I put my head down, my phone started ringing, and one of my kids didn’t want to do something.
Washington Examiner: Is there anything you are trying to tackle now?
Christian: I think we spent a lot of time health-focused, and we will continue to be health-focused in the near future. One of my jobs is making sure the other subcommittees are getting their hearings ready. We need to have coverage of issues partially because our members want us to be active on a number of things.
Washington Examiner: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Christian: I am a tennis fanatic. I play a lot of tennis, and I love it.
