Carrie Hughes is a Capitol Hill rarity: in 18 years, she has worked for only one member of Congress, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.). Starting in Scott's personal office, she now serves as the director of Health and Human Services for the House Education and the Workforce Committee, where Scott is the ranking member.
Hughes's longevity gives her a unique historical perspective. "I do know and remember and have lived through some fights that rear their heads again," she said. While those battles may look different today, she added, "having the historical knowledge and having been through it before, I think can be very helpful."
Her work on the committee touches everyday lives, from job-based health insurance to school meals and family violence prevention. "I just feel like a lot of our work is really kind of doing good things for people to make their lives better and easier," Hughes said. "That's, I think, as rewarding as it can get."
But the political climate has shifted dramatically during her tenure. Hughes lamented that lawmakers are less interested in finding common ground. "I think there are instances where issues could be bipartisan, and should be bipartisan, and historically have been bipartisan, but there's just not as much interest in that because it's not as expeditious or convenient," she said. She observed that the majority often follows the direction of President Trump, leaving "not a lot of room for debate."
As a veteran Democratic healthcare staffer, Hughes spent years defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That defensive posture limited what the committee could accomplish. Now, with the focus shifting to affordability, there may be room to move beyond the ACA battles. "I think affordability is always going to be on people's minds, but we definitely have a little bit more vocal interest in that area from our members," she said.
Hughes is hopeful about the future. "We were just kind of in this cycle of protecting and then repealing, then protecting and repealing," she said. "Where I think we all are looking forward to are opportunities to really build on the progress we've made and make things better for workers."
The committee's work on healthcare affordability is part of a broader national conversation, including debates over healthcare price transparency and the scope of the Democratic healthcare agenda.
