WATCHING WASHINGTON THE HEARINGS GAME
If you're like most Americans, television may have given you a mental image of a congressional hearing: an indignant congressman jabbing his finger in the air while lecturing a recalcitrant witness.
Even if your stereotype is different, it's probably equally wrong. Such drama is the exception, not the rule.
When Congress is in session, it may conduct as many as 50 hearings daily-about all its facilities can handle.
Hearings are a mutation of the legislative process, a public give and take between those who draft the laws, those who administer them, and those who want to change them.
WHAT THEY DO
The Constitution doesn't mention hearings, and they're not legally required in the legislative process. But they have flourished because they serve the needs of participants: congressmen, lobbyists, and the press.
Congressmen really don't need hearings to inform them on issues. Their staffs and lobbyists should do that. But hearings allow them to demonstrate in public that they are concerned about and working on particular issues.
Usually only a few of the members of a committee attend one of its hearings and sometimes only the chairman.
Most congressmen drift in late-they have been busy elsewhere-stay until they can ask a question or two of particular interest to their constituents, then leave to attend to other business-or another hearing. Their aides, especially in the Senate, may stay the entire hearing. When the congressman arrives, they brief him in a whispered conversation and suggest questions.
More congressmen attend hearings and stay longer when TV cameras are present. Publicity is their life's blood, and getting on the evening news in their state is a coup.
Hearings offer witnesses a prestigious public platform for their views. Their statements are put into the hearing record, so witnesses are present mainly for questioning.
The exchanges are usually mundane. Congressmen ask predictable questions, reflecting their views or their constituents' interests, and get predictable answers.
No one gets angry. No one is swayed by eloquence. There are no shocking revelations. And congressmen often spend more time stating their opinions than asking for those of the witness.
Except for an occasional tourist, audiences usually are made up entirely of staff members, lobbyists, and the press. As a senator once remarked to a packed hearing room, "We're all here because we're paid to be."
Lobbyists sometimes wait in line for hours to get a seat. They want to know what competitors are saying, and they watch for hints on how congressmen might vote.
Hearings often are manna for reporters. The statements provide fairly complete, up to date information on issues, and congressmen and witnesses are there for the quoting.
IF YOU'RE SUMMONED
Thousands of persons testify at congressional hearings each year. If you're ever summoned, here are a few tips:
Prepare a written summary of your statement. There may not be time for you to read the entire statement.
You can't win by arguing with a congressmen, but they are impressed when you debate forcefully with other witnesses.
And most important, eat a hearty breakfast. Hearings usually begin early in the morning and stretch well into the afternoon with no break for lunch.
Copyright 1991 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.