Broadening His Appeal beyond the Base: Justin O’Brien ‘18 Interns with Congressman Chris Gibson, NY 19th District
Justin O’Brien ’18 is addressing the concerns and listening to the opinions of constituents in New York’s 19th Congressional District.
O’Brien, a political science major with a concentration in international relations, is a caseworker at the main district office of Congressman Chris Gibson. He works directly under the deputy district director, and assists the district director and chief of staff.
He mostly works with constituents, fielding calls from concerned citizens. “Some days, the phones ring like crazy, and we have to determine if people are calling about a problem they are having with the federal government or have an opinion about a piece of legislation,” says O’Brien. “If callers have a problem with a federal agency, we field the call and open a case for them to advocate on their behalf with special congressional liaisons.” These agencies include Medicare, Veteran Affairs, and the Office of Personnel Management, among others. “Working with these agencies can be frustrating at times,” says O’Brien. “They often leave constituents waiting for responses from them for weeks or months. People contact us because they want us to get things done, period. I make inquiries into these agencies about the status of cases or ask for expedited responses so that constituents can get the answer they deserve from the government.”
“My favorite part of this internship has been making people’s lives better as a result of my work,” says O’Brien. The values of Le Moyne and the Department of Political Science guide him as he takes on the challenges of each day. “The emphasis placed on independent research and communication in my political science classes has been the key to my success while working in this office. Both oral and written communications are vital to success in any field, but as a constituent services representative, they are the backbone to my job. Le Moyne has done an excellent job of preparing me in both areas to be successful.”
O’Brien pursued this internship because of Gibson’s record and the unique challenges posed by the 19th district. “I match most of Congressman Gibson’s political beliefs,” says O’Brien. “He sits on the House Armed Services Committee, which focuses on military preparedness and budgeting __ both of which I find very interesting.” New York’s 19th district is comprised of all of Columbia, Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties, and includes parts of Broome, Dutchess, Montgomery and Rensselaer counties, creating diversity in political beliefs and lifestyles. “The disparity between the urban and rural areas in this district would be very difficult for most politicians to handle, but Congressman Gibson is one of the more bipartisan congressional leaders,” says O’Brien. “I find this fascinating and will hope to apply what I am observing in my future political science classes to further understand why people vote the way they do.”
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