Speaking Out from Georgetown

Many Georgetown faculty and administrators are experts in fields that relate directly or indirectly to public policy, and they are often called upon to share their expertise with the government in a variety of ways. From time to time they are invited to testify before congressional committees to share their expertise and perspectives. Here, you can find recent Congressional testimony by these Georgetown faculty and administrators.

Brian Galle, J.D., LL.M.
April 20, 2021 – Brian Galle, Georgetown Law School Professor, testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor on ways to improve accountability and prevent fraud in For-Profit colleges.

Marissa R. Randazzo
May 17, 2018 – Marisa R. Randazzo, Georgetown Director of Threat Assessment, testified before the Federal Commission on School Safety on her work at the U.S. Secret Service on Safe Schools Initiative.

Luisa Santos
June 15, 2017 – Luisa Santos (COL ’14) testified before House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee at a forum to gain input from millennials. In her testimony, Santos highlighted the importance of federal student aid programs and Georgetown scholarships to her education and then discussed how other federal programs enabled her to establish and expand her small business, Lulu’s Nitrogen Ice Cream, which now employs 13 individuals.

Irfan Nooruddin
December 6, 2016 – School of Foreign Service Professor Irfan Nooruddin testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Indian government obstacles to Compassion International.

John H. Lynch, MD
Professor, Georgetown Medical Center
Urology Department Chair
November 30, 2016 – Professor and Urology Department Chair John H. Lynch, MD, testified before the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on the Task Force recommendations relating to PSA prostate cancer screenings and in support of the USPSTF Transparency and Accountability Act.

Father Kevin Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown Medical Center
David Lauler Chair of Catholic Health Care Ethics
September 13, 2016 – Georgetown Medical Center Professor Father Kevin Fitzgerald testified before the House Agriculture Committee, Appropriations Subcommittee, on bioethics.

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution
May 24, 2016 – Security Studies Professor Dan Byman testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Saudi Arabia and terrorism.

Dr. Guinevere Eden
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center
Director, Center for the Study of Learning (CSL)
May 10, 2016Dr. Guinevere Eden testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on the intersection of dyslexia research and policy.

Dr. G. Kevin Donovan, MD, MA 
Director, Pelligrino Center for Bioethics
GUMC Professor, Pediatrics
March 2, 2016 – Dr. G. Kevin Donovan testified before the Select Investigative Panel of the Committee On Energy and Commerce on issues surrounding bioethics and fetal tissue.

Lawrence O. Gostin, JD, LL.D (Hon.)
Professor, Georgetown University 
Faculty Director, O’Neil Institute for National and Global Health Law
March 2, 2016 – Lawrence Gostin testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on the global and United States’ domestic response to the Zika virus.

John Mayo
Professor, McDonough School of Business
May 13, 2015 – John Mayo testified before the House Transportation Committee, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials on the impact of railroad deregulation.

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution
April 29, 2015 – Dr. Dan Byman testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism on “Terrorism in Africa: The Imminent Threat to the United States”. His testimony explores in considerable depth distinctions and similarities of Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

March 16, 2015 – the Office of Federal Relations partnered with the Center for Security Studies and the Georgetown International Relations Club in hosting a panel discussion entitled “Managing and Reducing 21st Century Nuclear Security Threats”. Panelists included Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), former Senators Sam Nunn and Richard Lugar, and former Defense Minister of the United Kingdom Des Browne.

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution
February 11, 2015 – Dr. Dan Byman testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terroristm, Nonproliferation and Trade focusing on Iran.

Dr. Guinevere Eden
Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center
Director, Center for the Study of Learning (CSL)
September 18, 2014 – Dr. Guinevere Eden testified at the House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology on “The Science of Dyslexia”.

Dr. Angela Stent
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Director, Center for Eurasian, Russian and Eastern European Studies
May 6, 2014 – Dr. Angela Stent testified at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on “Ukraine – Countering Russian Intervention & Support a Democratic State”. 

Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
November 12, 2013 – Congressman Alcee Hastings inserted comments in the Congressional Record highlighting an editorial written by Georgetown University Professor Maurice Jackson, RECOGNIZING DR. MAURICE JACKSON’S EDITORIAL: REMEMBERING THE TURKISH BROTHERS WHO HELPED CHANGE RACE RELATIONS IN AMERICA

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution
December 13, 2013 – Dr. Dan Byman testified before House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on the resurgence of Al Qaeda in Iraq and recommended policy actions in that regard.

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution
July 10, 2013 – Dr. Dan Byman testified  before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on “Terrorism in North Africa: Before and After Benghazi.”

Anthony P. Carnevale, Ph.D.
Research Professor, Georgetown University Public Policy Institute
Director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
February 26, 2013 – Dr. Anthony Carnevale testified before U. S. Senate Budget Committee on impact on the economy of higher education investments.

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Senior Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution
July 25, 2012 – Dr. Dan Byman testified before Senate Foreign Relations Committee on “Iran’s Support for Terrorism in the Middle East.”

Anthony P. Carnevale, Ph.D.
Director, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
July 8, 2011 – Dr. Anthony Carnevale testified before a joint hearing of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Regulatory Affairs, Stimulus Oversight and Government Spending. His testimony address controversies surrounding the new so-called “Gainful Employment” regulations issued by the U. S. Department of Education.

Daniel Byman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
June 3, 2011 – Dr. Dan Byman testified before the House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management on “Denying Terrorist Safe Havens: Homeland Security Efforts to Counter Threats from Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia.” His testimony addressed several issues: 1. The danger from the al-Qa’ida core in Pakistan after the death of Bin Ladin; 2. The importance of the drone campaign; 3. The role of al-Qa’ida-linked affiliate groups; 4. The nature of the threat to the U.S. homeland; 5. The impact of the “Arab spring” on counterterrorism; and 6. Policy recommendations for increasing the security of the U.S. homeland.

Thomas F. Farr, Ph.D.
Director, Religious Freedom Project, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Visiting Associate Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
June 3, 2011 – Dr. Farr testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights on “Prioritizing International Religious Freedom in US Foreign Policy.” His testimony supports enactment of H. R. 1856, amending the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.

Bruce Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor, Georgetown School of Foreign Service
Director, The Center for Peace and Security Studies
May 24, 2011 – Dr. Hoffman testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade on “The Future of Al Qaeda.” He testified that “Al Qaeda. . . will not necessarily attack soon. But we should brace ourselves once the 40-day mourning period that some Muslims observe ends.” He urged that “the U.S. must remain vigilant and avoid complacency and the temptation to lower our guard” and suggested, among other points, that we should “concentrate our attention on al Qaeda as a networked global phenomenon” and “break the cycle of terrorist radicalization and recruitment that hitherto has sustained the movement.” Read his full testimony here.

Chelsea Kidwell, M.D.
Director, The ASPIRE Project
Triumph Over Stroke
Georgetown University Medical Center

May 5, 2011 – Dr. Kidwell participated in a briefing organized by the Congressional Black Caucus during Stoke Awareness Month. Dr. Kidwell’s remarks focused on her NIH-funded research on timely response to warning signs of strokes. Further information regarding her work is available in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Dr. Kidwell and her team also developed materials designed for community outreach programs on this topic in the form of a Power-Point presentation (PDF version ) and as a series of Community Flip Charts .

Paul Sullivan, Ph.D.
Adjunt Professor, Security Studies Program, School of Foreign Service
Professor, National Defense University
March 31, 2011–Dr. Sullivan testified before the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere regarding rising oil prices and dependence on hostile regimes, as well as the urgent case for Canadian oil.”It is important to see the problems with our dependence on oil. It is even more important to see the importance of reason and strategic planning to make sure that our energy supplies remain secure in the coming difficult transitions that we will face to a new energy and geopolitical future.” Watch the testimony webcast here (beginning at time 38:24) or read the full testimony here .

Dr. Victor D. Cha, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Foreign Service
Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
March 10, 2011–Dr. Cha testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs regarding the challenges posed by North Korea (DPRK). He discussed North Korea’s reliance on “Neojuche revivalism”; its nuclear and ballistic missile programs; its threats to South Korea; and lastly, his suggestions for future U.S. foreign policy toward North Korea. “As a baseline, the U.S. must continue to intensify the sanctions and military exercising it has done with allies in the region to counter proliferation and punish Pyongyang for its deviant behavior.” Read the full testimony here .

Carol Christine Fair, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Security Studies Program, School of Foreign Service
October 1, 2009–Dr. Fair testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia on the Afghan elections for president and various provincial councils that occurred in August 2009. She discussed the role that the security situation on the ground played in the election and went on to address US policy for Afghanistan following the election. In her conclusion she stated, “I recommend a reformulation of the question away from whether the United States can protect its interests without a decisive defeat of the Taliban towards how the United States can do so without such a comprehensive defeat.” Read her full testimony here .

Sandra Calvert, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology & Director, Children’s Digital Media Center
July 23, 2009–Dr. Calvert testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on how the Children’s Television Act, enacted almost 30 years ago, is still relevant in the digital age. She urged the Committee to act to enhance educational media that is available to children. “I ask you to act so that the dream of a quality media environment for children can become a reality in the early part of the 21st century.” Read her full testimony here.

Karen Pollitz, M.P.P.
Former Research Professor, GU Health Policy Institute
Deputy Director for Consumer Support, Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (Obama Administration)
June 23-25, 2009— Karen Pollitz testified before the House Committee on Education and Labor, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the health care reform plan being considered by the House of Representatives. She addressed the major components of the plan and provided her assessment of each. She summarized that in her view, “For heath care reform to provide all Americans with secure coverage, changes must be adopted and enforced to ensure that health insurance is always available, affordable, and adequate.” Read her full testimony here .

Bruce Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Foreign Service
Center for Peace and Security Studies
April 2, 2009–Dr. Hoffman testified before the House Committee on Homeland Security about the Homeland Security Council and President Obama’s call for a review of the nation’s security architecture. He urged, “the American national and homeland security structure be organized for maximum efficiency, intelligence and information sharing, and the ability to function quickly and effectively in the face of so dynamic and evolutionary threat environment.” He described his assessment of the current terrorist threat and emphasized the role that state and local authorities play in homeland security. Read his full testimony here.

The Honorable Andrew S. Natsios
Distinguished Professor, School of Foreign Service
April 1, 2009–Professor Natsios, who served as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2001 to 2006, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Development, Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection on the reform of foreign aid programs saying, “I am convinced that no great power can maintain its preeminence without a robust foreign aid program.” He went on to outline his recommendations for foreign aid programs to be efficient and effective. Read his full testimony here.

Carol Lancaster, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor of Politics, School of Foreign Service
April 1, 2009–Dr. Lancaster, who was Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1993 to 1996 and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in 1980-81, testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on International Development, Foreign Assistance, Economic Affairs and International Environmental Protection on the role of USAID in the 21st century. “I hope this committee will keep this issue on its agenda until we have the strong development agency we need, the strong voice for development within the administration and the expertise to back up that voice. We are in great danger of losing it at present.” She described needed changes in how the agency operates and future challenges of global development. Read her full testimony here.