Senator Sydney Pasto - Oregon

221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C., 20510
P: (202) 224 – 5244
F: (202) 228 – 2717
Email: sydneypasto@senate.oregon.gov
Website: http://www.sydneypasto.senate.gov

25 February 2019

To: The Staff of Sydney Pasto for Senator

I. Overview

In the Office of Sydney Pasto for Senator, each individual will be acting as a team to
accomplish the roles and duties of a true representative, for the state of Oregon. This
letter is to outline the roles and priorities of individuals that comprise of the team here.
Collectively, our ultimate goal is to serve under the continued trust of the people of
Oregon.

II. Roles

As stated beforehand, the Office of Sydney Pasto for Senator will be working as a team.
As such, it is ultimately important that each individual does what they need to do to
accomplish things. As the primary goal of a senator is to legislate in a way that is truly
representative of the electorate that voted for them. Although this is the ultimate
underlying goal, there are many roles that must be filled and accomplished in a manner
that is ‘above and beyond,’ so that the underlying needs are met on a daily basis. The
Office will be working directly under the direction of the Chief of Staff, who runs the
office and will be a top political advisor. That being said, it is important to note that the
Chief of Staff will be different from the Legislative Director in which that the Legislative
Director will plan initiatives, implement strategies, and supervise other legislative staff.
Working under the director will be Legislative Assistant’s, who ensure the fluidity of
legislation, so that our constituency may be served in a timely manner. Similar to this is
the Legislative Correspondent, however the Correspondent will be responsible for
maintaining communications between the constituency and senator, and drafting
responses to the public or elsewhere in the Federal government.

III. Issues and Priorities

While there is a technological boom centered around large cities like Portland, Oregon
actually still remains a largely resource based economy. Oregon is one of the largest
trading partners – especially in terms of natural resources. However, Oregonians
recognize the importance for preserving natural resources. As such, it is imperative to
find alternatives to economic expansion. As one of the lowest high school graduation
rates in the nation, it is important to improve public education. There are many parts of
the state that lack advanced communication and transportation systems, which
continuously impact school-aged children. Properly educated workforce (as well as
healthcare and affordable housing) impacts whether or not there is room for a thriving
middle class – which is what ensures a booming economy. These fundamentals have
greatly impacted the economic statuses of many families across Oregon, as well as
much of the nation. As such, it needs to be a priority to collaborate with states with
similar issues, such as Seattle and San Francisco, in order to ensure a collective
benefit.

IV. Reelection

Although our constituents’ needs remain the most important aspect of our everyday
lives in the Senate, we cannot take care of things that we need to unless we are
continuously elected. That being said, it is imperative to pass the proper legislation in
order to remain both relevant and successful in all of the work that we do. As such,
joining a Senate committee such as the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Energy
and Natural Resources, and the Energy and Commerce committee would demonstrate
both a set of advantageous and important aspect in reelection, as a long-term strategy.

IV. Legislation

As stated beforehand, it is imperative to continuously pass the proper legislation. This

sometimes requires unconventional methods, such as meeting with interest groups,
committees, party leaders, and the like. The most effective way to research aspects
about legislation that’s already written would be to meet with sponsors, party leaders
and interest groups. However, to become a sponsor on a bill would require extensive
research – as such, meeting with interest groups would be the primary course of action.

VI. Personal Note

Although there may be times where work can get extremely hard, just know in the end
that is all worth it. This team is working to improve the lives of millions for generations to
come, and as such has a much larger influence than they may realize.

Sincerely,

Sydney Pasto
United States Senator for Oregon
Reflection
Doing the research on separate staffing positions created a somewhat ambiguous
interpretation of the actual duties and responsibilities of each position. It was only then
that I realized that these positions are meant to be ambiguous – each individual is
serving a larger purpose than simply “administrative duties” for example. This is relevant
to my understanding of congressional institutions because it is important to understand
the hidden workings of a congressional institution. There are many people who work
strenuously to pass legislation yet are not elected officials, and yet may not receive the
recognition they deserve.