Federal Government

The Government Relations team serves as Howard University’s liaison to:

  • Members of Congress,
  • Council of the District of Columbia,
  • the Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia,
  • agencies of the Federal, state, and local governments,
  • key local and regional officials, and
  • major higher education and business associations.

Additional Resources

Key Government Entities
Elected Officials

African American Mayors Association Voting Rights Summit

On October 2, 2023, the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) hosted its Voting Rights Summit at Howard University. Attendees gained insights that will encourage youth participation in our democracy and the issue of voter suppression among young voters.

AAMA President and Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, along with Earle, AR Mayor Jaylen Smith and MSNBC Contributor Donald Calloway Jr., enlightened participants on these crucial topics. When We All Vote, Civic Nation, and Howard University collaborated to emphasize the significance of informed and engaged young voters in shaping the future of our democracy.

Careers in Congress Panel Discussion

On September 25, 2023, Stacey Abrams, the Howard University Ronald W. Walters Endowed Chair for Race and Black Politics, led a discussion hosted by Howard University with freshman female members of Congress on pursuing careers in public office.

Joining Ms. Abrams in discussion were Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Summer Lee (D-PA), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). They discussed several topics, including their catalyst for running for public office, navigating a divided government, the intersection of business and politics, and how best to inspire younger generations to get involved in politics and the public sector.

Thank you for our partners at the US House Office of Diversity and Inclusion. You can learn more about their initiatives by visiting their website at http://diversity.house.gov.

Watch the panel on CSPAN.
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Secretary Buttigieg Tours Howard University Transportation Center

On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured Howard University, where he visited with middle school students, Howard University students, and was briefed on the University’s expanding research footprint in transportation.

At the College of Engineering and Architecture, Buttigieg participated in meetings with students and faculty. They put the spotlight on the Howard University Transportation Center, which recently received a $10 million grant from the Department of Transportation. Afterward, Buttigieg met with Howard University President Wayne A. I. Frederick.  

 

Read more on The Dig.
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Joint Community Service Event with HHS Secretary Becerra and HU Men's Basketball

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Thank you, Secretary Becerra, for joining the Howard University Men's Basketball team for a joint community service event at the DC Diaper Bank, and for speaking with our student athletes about the state of Black Maternal Health in America. 

 

Wisdom Wednesday ft. Irene Marion, USDOT Departmental Office of Civil Rights Director

The Howard University Office of External Affairs hosts a monthly guest who discusses their career path, the obstacles they overcame, and the grit it took to succeed in the political realm.

Featuring Howard Alum: Irene Marion, Director, Departmental Office of Civil Rights for the US Department of Transportation.

Congratulations Associate Dean Denise Saunders Thompson

Denise Saunders Thompson, associate dean of administration in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, was presented with the 2021 National Medal of Arts by President Biden during an East Room ceremony at the White House on March 21, 2023. Thompson received the award on behalf of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD).  

Read The Dig Article here
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Congratulations to Howard Men’s Basketball on First NCAA Tournament Berth in 21 Years

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March 16, 2023: After winning last week’s MEAC tournament, the Howard Bison men’s basketball team officially secured its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1992, and only its third trip in NCAA tournament history.  The team completed a terrific season after earning its way into this year’s NCAA Division I basketball tournament. 

 

The team extends a warm thank you to Vice President Harris and Second Gentleman Emhoff, for joining us in Iowa for this historic occasion and for addressing the players after the game.

 

Photo: Jamie Sabau/NCAA Photos via Getty Images.

Howard University Receives UTC Funding from US Department of Transportation

February 21, 2023: US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced up to $435 million in grant awards for 34 University Transportation Centers (UTC) that will help the next generation of transportation professionals make our roads, bridges, rail, shipping, and airspace safer, more innovative, and more efficient. 

Howard University's Transportation Center will research best practices around promoting safety. 

Learn more about the Howard University Transportation and Data Center here.
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Howard University Awarded $90 Million to Establish First-Ever UARC Led by an HBCU

The center at Howard University will focus its research on tactical autonomy. The University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) will be established through a five-year, $90 million contract agreement with the Department of Defense. Through the center, Howard University will be awarded $18 million annually to conduct research that will contribute to the development of efficient, affordable, trustworthy human-machine teaming and systems-of-systems with autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities that fall within the U.S. Air Force, Space Force, and DOD’s modernization priorities. 

Learn more here.
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Wisdom Wednesday ft. Charmion Kinder, Peace Corps Communications Director

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The Howard University Office of External Affairs hosts a monthly guest who discusses their career path, the obstacles they overcame, and the grit it took to succeed in the political realm.

Featuring Howard Alum: Charmion Kinder, Communications Director, Peace Corps.

 

Conversation on Women and Trade

The Howard University Center for African Studies, Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership, and the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center hosted a conversation with Ambassador Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative; Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade; and others on Women and Trade: Advancing African and Diaspora Women in the Global Marketplace.  This conversation, on the eve of the U.S.-Africa Leader’s Summit, will focus on gender equity and equality and ensuring that women from the African Diaspora thrive in the global marketplace. 

Watch the recordings of the two panels here.
US Africa Summit Panel

Glory: Conversations on the CROWN Act

Howard University welcomed members of Congress on Monday to engage with students about the C.R.O.W.N. Act (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair). The act is a law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, dreadlocks, twists, or bantu knots.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus, Senator Cory Booker and Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman, Barbara Lee, Gwen Moore, Ilhan Omar, Cori Bush, Ayanna Pressley; joined actress Michelle Hurd in a panel discussion where they revealed their own experiences with hair-based discrimination.

Read more at The Dig.
Crown Act Event Panelists

Vice President Kamala Harris Talks With BET News About Reproductive Rights

Vice President Kamala Harris is joined by The 19th News’s Editor-at-Large Errin Haines and actress DeWanda Wise at Howard University for 'State of Our Union: Reproductive Rights'.