Aaron Jordan

Aaron Jordan is the Deputy Chief Counsel for the House Foreign Affairs Committee for Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks. He covers issues related to sanctions, global tech and telecoms, energy, international finance, and war powers. In addition to his substantive portfolio, he is also the lead Committee on congressional rules and parliamentary procedure for committee markups and activities on the House floor. Prior to his current role, he served as the Ranking Member's Legislative Director, clerked for the Maryland Supreme Court, and worked as an attorney in Washington DC. He is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School and has a Certificate in Business Management from the Wharton School.

Allison Cantrell

Allison Cantrell attended Florida State University (FSU), where she studied economic development and international affairs, then received her Master's of Science in demographics and population studies. Her master's thesis analyzed the role of various demographic factors in determining the fertility rate in Kenya. Prior to joining the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Allison worked for Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, where she oversaw the budgetary and legislative portfolios for various state agencies, and for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, where she led a variety of work related to international religious freedom and appropriations. Currently, she covers global health security and diplomacy for Chairman Mast on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Bethan Saunders

Bethan Saunders is the Military Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, where she advises on national security and foreign policy issues to support the Senator’s role as a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Before joining the Senate, Bethan served in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy as a Policy Advisor in the Office of Cyber Policy and the Office of Force Development and Emerging Capabilities. In these roles, she managed policy implementation for AUKUS Pillar II and advanced cyber partnerships with allies across the CENTCOM, SOUTHCOM, and AFRICOM regions. Her prior experience includes roles at NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator, the Defense Innovation Unit, and In-Q-Tel’s National Security Innovation Group. Bethan began her career at Morgan Stanley, supporting global institutional client relationships and expanding the firm's strategy on emerging markets and financial technology. She is the Co-Chair of Foreign Policy for America’s NextGen Initiative and serves on the board of the National Security Council Staff Association (NSCSA), where she leads NSCSA Women. Bethan holds a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She is originally from Los Angeles, California.

Charles Orta

Charles Orta is a Senior Legislative and Policy Analyst on the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), where he has worked since 2021 under the leadership of Chairman Menendez, Chairman Cardin, and now Ranking Member Shaheen. In that role, he helps advise the Committee's Democratic staff on issues affecting the Western Hemisphere and global counternarcotics, law enforcement, and security assistance. Prior to working in the Senate, Charles spent several years developing legal and policy expertise on human rights and security issues in research and legal assistant roles across the private, government, and NGO sectors. He holds a Juris Doctor with honors from Harvard Law School and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. He also holds a B.A. in Government with honors and a Certificate in Latin American Studies from Harvard College.

Ian Merritt

Ian Merritt is the Legislative Director and National Security Advisor for Representative Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), the Chairman of the House Energy & Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves as Rep. Fleischmann’s associate committee staffer on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Prior to this role, Ian served at the Department of Defense, and as Military Legislative Assistant for Representative Jeff Fortenberry (NE-01), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. His time on Capitol Hill began through a fellowship with the Nuclear Security Working Group. Before that, he was a senior research assistant with the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, where he contributed to research on regional geopolitical competition, civil wars, and U.S. counterterrorism strategy. Ian has a M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and a B.A. in European History from the University of San Francisco.

Jacob Marx

Jacob Marx is a Senior Investigator with the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, where he leads work on economic security, including national security risks associated with artificial intelligence. He previously served as Acting Director for Oversight in the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Legislative Affairs, where he managed congressional oversight on issues including counterterrorism, transnational criminal organizations, and the assassination attempts on President Trump. Prior to DHS, Jacob was Senior Legislative Assistant to Congresswoman Katie Porter, handling oversight and national security issues. He led a congressional investigation into U.S. nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, helping to lay the groundwork for renewed Compacts of Free Association. He previously worked at the Open Society Foundations, supporting government oversight through grantmaking, and began his career at the Project on Government Oversight, focusing on nuclear weapons programs. Jacob holds an MPPP from Georgetown University and a BA from Colby College. He is a former Aspen Security Forum Scholar.

John Lynch

John Lynch serves as Legislative Director for Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, House Agriculture Committee, and Co-Chair of the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue. In this role, Mr. Lynch manages the Congressman’s policy team and oversees the office’s legislative priorities. He also handles the Congressman’s work as a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and manages other issues such as appropriations, budget, defense, veterans, water resources, and trade. Previously, Mr. Lynch worked for Congressman TJ Cox and Senator Dianne Feinstein. He graduated from the University of North Carolina with a bachelor’s in Political Science and Contemporary European Studies. He is a native of North Carolina.

Kelsey McBarron

Kelsey McBarron serves as Counsel and Professional Staff for the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Kelsey previously spent five years as an associate attorney at Schroeder Law PLLC, where she assisted clients in commercial space and national security fields with matters regarding regulatory compliance, risk management, insurance, export controls, contract drafting, and more. Prior to joining Schroeder Law, Kelsey worked as a staff attorney for the Regulatory Practice Group at Fish and Richardson, handling matters related to commercial space, telecommunications, data protection, and export controls. Kelsey also worked on the regulatory team for a communications satellite owner and operator. Kelsey earned her J.D. from California Western School of Law, and dual undergraduate degrees from Indiana University.

Kim Waskowsky

Kim Waskowsky is a Professional Staff Member for the Majority staff of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She previously worked for the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as well as several personal offices in the House. Kim holds a B.A. in International Affairs and Political Science from the University of Georgia.

Lucas Lam

Lucas Lam is the Legislative Director for Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (D-OR), where he leads her Financial Services Committee work and manages portfolios on Defense, National Security, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Economy, and Health. An expert in steering & policy strategy, Lucas led the successful effort to secure Congresswoman Bynum’s appointment to the Financial Services Committee, making her the only freshman frontline Democrat on an “A-Committee” in the 119th Congress. Prior to Capitol Hill, Lucas spent five years in government relations and corporate affairs, representing Fortune 500 healthcare companies where his work focused on corporate governance and pharmaceutical supply chain risks. Lucas is a longtime advocate for staff development and diversity on Capitol Hill. He has served on several congressional staff association boards and most recently as President of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Staff Association, where he helped grow annual membership to over 500. Lucas holds a Master’s in Global Risk from Johns Hopkins SAIS and a Bachelor’s in Science, Technology & Society from Colby College. Outside of work, Lucas is a Level 1 sommelier and is pursuing his Level 2 CMS certification. He also invests in wine futures and remains active in local DC orchestras as a classically trained oboist.

Maha Syed

Maha Syed serves as the National Security Legislative Assistant for Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA). She previously served in the office of Rep. Gerry Connolly and as the National Security Legislative Correspondent in the Office of Senator Kaine. Maha has also served as the Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Staff Assistant in the Office of Senator Kaine. She is originally from northern Virginia. Maha holds a B.A. in Global Affairs and an M.P.P. from George Mason University.

Molly Carpenter

Molly Carpenter currently serves as the Legislative Director for Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), managing a staff of nine and overseeing all legislative issues and related committee business. Molly also specifically handles defense and foreign affairs issues for Senator Crapo. Previously, she served Senator Crapo as the Military Legislative Assistant. Prior to working for Senator Crapo, she worked for former Senator Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) as the Military Legislative Assistant, assisting him with membership on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She also worked for the late Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) for over five years in multiple roles from Staff Assistant to Legislative Assistant. Molly has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Indiana University, and is in the final stages of earning a Master of Arts in security studies from Johns Hopkins University.

Rory Daly

Rory Daly is a public policy professional currently serving as a Professional Staff Member for the U.S. House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. On the Committee, he leads policy on economic security, international trade, tax, finance, and critical minerals. Previously, Rory served as a Policy Advisor for U.S. Senator Bob Casey, where he managed a wide-ranging policy portfolio, including international trade, economics, energy, and manufacturing. In his time in Senator Casey’s office, Rory helped advance key provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act that support domestic manufacturing and investment in former industrial communities. His earlier roles in the Senator’s office included Legislative Aide, Correspondence Coordinator, and Legislative Correspondent. Prior to his time on the hill, Rory spent two years working for USAging, advancing policy and communication goals of the association as it concerns older adult health and wellbeing. Rory holds a Master of Public Policy from Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School, where he worked with United Way of Northern New Jersey advocating for an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit. Rory also holds a Bachelor of Art in Communication Studies from Stockton University.

Savannah Bolender

Savannah Bolender has worked on Capitol Hill since 2019 and currently serves as Legislative Director to Congresswoman Fischbach, covering a range of domestic and foreign issues. She handles both of the Congresswoman’s Committees – Rules and Ways and Means. She previously worked for a few other senior House Members and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Security Congressional Staff Association (NSCSA), a bipartisan, bicameral staff caucus. Savannah graduated from Florida State University in 2019 and completed the Naval War College’s three-year Fleet Seminar Program in 2023. In June 2025, she completed her Masters in Defense and Strategic Studies, with a concentration in Military History, Operations, and Strategy, from the Naval War College. Savannah has completed fellowships in both AI and Space Policy and continues to expand her expertise in these and other areas. She has handled AI policy for three Members of Congress and is particularly focused on its intersection with national security. Her graduate research included explorations of future warfare and AI’s tactical and strategic impacts on the future operating environment, and she recently participated in a Stanford study that wargamed national security experts against AI-driven recommendations.

Shinnola Alexander serves as a policy advisor in the Office of Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, where she focuses on AI and emerging technology, and manages the environment, agriculture, energy, and transportation and infrastructure portfolios. Previously, she served as a Legislative Assistant in the office of Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett, covering both domestic and foreign policy. Before working on the Hill, she held roles in both government and the private sector. She holds a BA in Political Science from Yale University and an MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Simon Brinkmann Jønler

Simon Brinkmann Jønler is the Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04) who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, including the Defense Subcommittee. Rep. Aderholt’s district surrounds Huntsville, but as the dean of Alabama’s congressional delegation he takes a state-wide interest. Prior to joining the office, Simon was the congressional liaison for defense at the British Embassy in Washington advancing US-UK cooperation on AUKUS, nuclear policy, and Ukraine. This is his second tenure on the Hill, having previously served in the South Carolina delegation for Representatives Norman and Sanford. He originally grew up in Denmark and is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and the US Naval War College.