Interning in the District Office

Interning in Washington DC

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) represents the 3^rd Congressional District, which includes most of Multnomah County and the northern half of Clackamas County. Elected to the US House of Representatives in 1996, Congressman Blumenauer has created a unique role as Congress’ chief spokesperson for Livable Communities: places where people are safe, healthy and economically secure. Currently a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee, the Congressman also co-chairs the Congressional Bike Caucus.

District Office Internship

Our office in Portland has three primary responsibilities: district field and communications outreach, constituent casework, and district scheduling for the Congressman. Opportunities are available for interns to assist staff with each of these responsibilities.

Field and Communications Outreach focuses on building and maintaining relationships with constituents, agencies, nonprofits, and businesses throughout the district. Field staff work on such issue areas as agriculture, business, environment, immigration, labor, transportation and livable communities.

Constituent Casework involves responding to requests and concerns that district constituents are experiencing with government agencies. These issues range in their impact and complexity, but represent a significant opportunity for our office to connect with constituents. Examples of casework areas include veterans, housing, healthcare, Social Security, and student loan issues.

District Scheduling centers on managing a diverse and evolving schedule for the Congressman. Congressman Blumenauer commutes almost every week to Washington, D.C., but when the House of Representatives' schedule provides for work weeks back at home, the Congressman spends his time meeting with constituents of the district. He visits and hosts small businesses, employers, schools, educators, community groups and individuals, at a wide array of events, roundtables, meetings, celebrations, issue summits and advocacy gatherings.

General Internship Responsibilities:

• Responding to constituent requests and letters
• Fielding constituent communications
• Maintaining and updating constituent database
• Attending local events and conferences with congressional staffers
• Assisting with legislative research
• Assisting with constituent casework

Among other daily tasks, interns are required to complete a general plan of execution for their internship tenure, to assist staff with constituent communications, and to develop a comprehensive, final project related to their area of interest.

Additional Qualifications:

• Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing, as interns are a critical point of contact for the office.
• Ability to speak diplomatically with constituents who may hold differing views.
• Ability to both work independently and as part of a team-oriented environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to following up with matters as needed.
• Consistent and professional demeanor.

Hours and Salary:

This is a part time, unpaid internship. Academic credit is available and should be arranged with your academic institution. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm.

How to Apply:

Currently enrolled students are eligible to apply for an internship in the District Office in Portland. If you are not seeking college credit for the internship, a short letter in writing from your educational institution detailing the academic benefit of this program is required. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In the body of your email message, please indicate what dates you will be available, how many hours a week you would like to work, and whether you will be seeking academic credit. For more information, please contact Kevin Pozzi at (503) 231-2300.

Washington, D.C. Office Internship

Interns in our Washington DC office work to support the legislative agenda of Congressman Blumenauer and assist the residents of the Third District of Oregon. Interns are responsible for a variety of tasks which are essential to ensuring that the office runs smoothly and efficiently.  Duties assigned to DC interns may include the following:

• Answering phones
• Sorting faxes, physical mail, and emails from constituents
• Staffing the front office
• Drafting correspondence
• Leading tours of the Capitol building
• Attending briefings on behalf of staff
• Assisting with legislative research

Qualified applicants should be:

• Excellent communicators
• Strong writers
• Self-motivated and capable of working both independently and as part of a team
• Pro-active, detail oriented, and committed to following through on assigned tasks

Internships are geared towards college students or those just out of college.  To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

In the body of your email message, please indicate what dates you will be available, how many hours a week you would like to work, and whether you will be seeking academic credit.

For more information, contact:

Portland, Oregon Office -- Kevin Pozzi (503) 231-2300

Washington, D.C. Office – Paul Balmer (202) 225-4811