William Hughes
Chief of Staff, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
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After 20 years in Congress, Hughes is probably the go-to Republican staffer on such issues as transportation, budget and tax policy.
As former GOP staff director for the Senate Republican Policy Committee under Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Hughes developed policy papers and wrote bill and amendment summaries for Republican senators contemplating how to position themselves on crucial issues.
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A South Dakota native, Hughes went to Augustana College in his home state before getting a master's in public affairs from the University of Texas' Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in 1983. His first job out school was as a budget examiner for the transportation branch of the Office of Management and Budget.
In 1985, he became a senior analyst for the Senate Budget Committee, and for the next 20 years, he worked as a Capitol Hill staffer. He worked for the Senate Commerce Committee, for the House Committee on Public Works and Transportation and for House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).
In his two decades on Capitol Hill, Hughes' has developed an expertise in tax policy, budget issues and transportation. He served as the Republican staff director for the Senate Commerce Committee, having played a similar role for the Senate Republican Policy Committee under Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas).
The RPC helps develop and explain policy for members of the Republican Conference. It provides "the best research available to keep senators informed about both legislation considered by the Senate and forward-thinking policies to stimulate debate," Hughes said. The staffers on the committee write policy papers, summarize bills and amendments, record all votes and provide a 24-hour hotline for legislative news.
Hughes worked for Hastert for nearly a decade. He managed a staff of eight and reported to then-Hastert Chief of Staff Scott Palmer. As Hastert's policy director, he worked with top staffers throughout the Republican Party.
He also worked under Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) on the Senate Republican Policy Committee and moved with her to the Commerce panel.
- Response to Whorunsgov.com questionnaire returned by Bill Hughes on Feb. 24, 2009
- "House leadership: Speaker Dennis Hastert," The National Journal, June 21, 2003
- Martel, Andrew, "Hastert promotes Hughes to policy director," The Hill, Nov. 14, 2001
- The Almanac of the Unelected, 2008 edition
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