Congressional Program
The Aspen Institute Congressional Program is a nongovernmental, nonpartisan educational program serving the United States Congress.
Established in 1983, the Congressional Program’s focus on scholarly engagement gives Senators and Representatives the opportunity to delve into complex and pressing public policy issues with internationally recognized experts in a neutral, off-the-record setting.
Since the program’s inception, over 680 members of Congress, more than 2,000 international parliamentarians, political and government leaders, and scholars have been involved.
About the Program
The Aspen Institute Congressional Program conducts all events in an off-the-record setting, free of special interests and lobbying. It is funded exclusively by established philanthropic foundations; it does not accept funding from governments, corporations, or special interests. The Aspen Institute does not employ or retain registered lobbyists, and conferences are reviewed in advance by the Senate and House Ethics Committees.
If you are interested in learning more about the Aspen Institute Congressional Program, please email [email protected].
What We Do
Member Conferences
For the last four decades, the Aspen Institute Congressional Program has brought bipartisan, bicameral groups of Members of Congress together with renowned policy experts to engage in civil dialogue on pressing policy challenges. The Program convenes outside Washington, in both domestic and international locales, and gives members a distraction-free opportunity to analyze complex issues with colleagues and policy experts. After each conference, a collection of original policy analyses is published in a report to serve as a resource for Members of Congress.
Member Breakfasts
In addition to the conferences for Members of Congress, approximately two-dozen members-only breakfast meetings are held at the United States Capitol almost every Thursday that the Senate and House are both in session. These discussions and briefings feature distinguished experts on a range of policy topics, from AI, geopolitics, energy security, global health, food security, economics, and more. These breakfasts offer a unique opportunity for bipartisan, bicameral groups of Members of Congress to engage on a broad range of issues throughout the year.
Senior Congressional Staff Lunches and Conferences
The Program also provides educational conferences and staff lunches for invited senior congressional staff. The conferences focus on exposing staff to policy experts from around the world in an open dialogue with colleagues from across Capitol Hill to better support the policy needs of their Members. The staff lunch briefings are held in the United States Capitol about six to eight times a year and cover a variety of pressing policy topics.
