I’m Just a Bill, Yes I’m Only a Bill; But What the Hell is Happening on Capitol Hill?: The U.S. Senate, 2014
Erroneously called the “greatest deliberative body in the world,” the United States Senate has a complex reputation. As one of two chambers of the United States Congress, the Senate has sweeping legislative power to shape the policies of the United States. In 2014, decisive Senate action could realign or at least alter the United States’ War on Terror, but to do so it must navigate partisanship, gridlock, and arcane procedure.
Recognizing the political opportunities before them, various Senate committees will seek to advance their views on how – or if – the Global War on Terrorism can proceed. The Senate Committee on Armed Services explores how to thwart terrorist attacks before they occur without fueling radicalization. In the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, senators debate the breadth of the President’s powers to deploy U.S. soldiers in places Congress had never intended to authorize–albeit so the soldiers can deal with threats Congress had not foreseen. The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs seeks to ameliorate soldiers’ acclimation into civilian life, which is often plagued with challenges like limited access to physical and mental healthcare. If policymaking wasn’t already complicated enough, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence now has to deal with thousands of NSA documents leaked by Edward Snowden, viewed by some as a heroic effort revealing disturbing intelligence practices, and by others as treachery of the highest order.
Senators will meet as the full Senate during Thursday, meet in one of three specific Senate committees (Foreign Relations, Intelligence, and Veterans Affairs) on Friday, and then go back to the full Senate for Saturday. Bills must be passed through committees and then through the full Senate meaning that delegates must navigate both committee-level and full-Senate politics. All this while also dealing with the erraticism of party loyalty and the quirks of Senate rules.
Co-Chair:
Jack Fritz Gigante
Co-Chair:
Jacob Brown
Jack Fritz Gigante is a student in the College at Georgetown University in the class of 2026. He is keenly interested in the field of law and legislation and is excited to provide an opportunity to welcome others into that passion. However, Jack is not all about work and no play, as he is also an avid fan of Star Wars, the West Wing, and the Atlanta Braves. Despite academic pursuits, Jack is not one to shy away from the occasional mischievous act. In fact, he once found himself in detention after being caught holding a seance on campus. This incident only served to fuel his curiosity and interest in criminal rights, and Jack is sure he would have won release on appeal.
Jacob Brown is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences class of 2026 who is interested in public policy and especially structural and procedural inputs into policy outcomes. He is from Redmond, Washington. When not listening to The Lawfare Podcast or some audiobook on three times speed, he can be found reading some book or journal article, attending class, doing something for an internship, or working on homework. He is occasionally sighted playing a digital form of Magic the Gathering, but he’s still probably listening to a book or podcast at the same time.
Co-Chair:
Alexia Espinoza Vlad
Alexia Espinoza Vlad (she/her) is a member of the Walsh School of Foreign Service Class of 2027, and she is majoring in International Politics, with a concentration in International Law, Institutions, and Ethics. She is from Naples, Florida, so she’d probably rather be on the beach right now. Alexia has staffed and competed in Model UN conferences throughout high school and now college, so she’s beyond excited to be your chair! She’s currently the Under-Secretary-General of Economic and Social Councils at NAIMUN LXII, and in the past, she has been a Director at NAIMUN LXI and a Rapporteur at NCSC LI. She also competes with the GUMUN travel team, so she’s looking forward to hopefully seeing some familiar faces! Outside of MUN-related activities (she swears she does other things), Alexia spends her time giving super relatable and hilarious campus tours with the Blue and Gray Tour Guide Society, working at her on-campus job at the Mortara Center for International Studies, singing in the Georgetown University Concert Choir, and taking 0.5 pictures with her sisters in Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority. She loves to travel (please give her places to add to her bucket list), read, go to the gym somewhat regularly, and slay the daily NYT mini crossword. Alexia can’t wait to welcome you all to NCSC LII!
USG: Annabelle Kim
This committee is in the Non-Traditionals Organ, and your Under-Secretary General is Annabelle Kim. Committees in this organ are small crisis committees with highly specialized topics and distinct committee procedures.
If you have any questions about your committee, please reach out to as.kim@modelun.org.