Trust is the coin of the realm,” said the late Bryce Harlow, adviser to four presidents and a master at managing the relationship between Congress and the executive branch. Trust is the currency that Capitol Hill and federal agencies trade back and forth to get government work done. Once trust is lost, there’s nothing left on the table, Harlow said.
Dwight Ink, a retired federal executive who worked with Congress under seven presidents, counts Harlow as one of his mentors. “Without trust, it’s very difficult to have a constructive working relationship between the two branches,” Ink said.
Keeping strong bonds between feds and Congress can be as simple as returning phone calls to congressional staff members, said Jennifer Greer, chief of the future directions branch of the Army Corps of Engineers. Someone from the corps of engineers meets with congressional staff members almost every day, she said.
Ink cites his work with the former Atomic Energy Commission as an example of how to maintain trust with Congress. The commission wanted to find a location for a nuclear accelerator. The facility would attract jobs, engineers and scientists. “Every state except Hawaii offered a location for the accelerator,” Ink said. “We had to turn down all but two senators and most members of Congress.”
The potential for a breakdown of trust between Congress and the commission was huge, Ink said. He and his staff spent a lot of time explaining to the members of Congress why their states had good sites but weren’t right for the accelerator. By arming the lawmakers with information, it made them “appear to be involved and working for and representing their constituency,” he said. “That made a world of difference in our relationship with members of Congress.” The experience also helped Ink get to know most of the committee chairmen and ranking members.
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