Economic Policy Evenings

Since 1982, the American Council for Capital Formation, which focuses on the impact of economic, energy, and environmental policies on economic growth, has hosted "ACCF Economic Policy Evenings" each month Congress is in session. As National Journal noted, "ACCF Economic Policy Evenings bring members of Congress, journalists, and corporate executives into informal, off-the-record propinquity" to discuss economic, energy, and environmental policy issues in a current and topical context. A typical Policy Evening involves four members of Congress, an equal number of journalists, and eight-ten business leaders.

ACCF president and chief executive officer Mark Bloomfield and Dr. Margo Thorning, ACCF senior vice president and chief economist, co-host the forums at the Madison Hotel’s Carlton Club in Washington, D.C.  The Economist said, “It’s bipartisanship by dinner party.”

Over 300 members of the House and Senate, an equal number of media guests and business leaders, and high-ranking members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the United States have participated in more than 160 ACCF Economic Policy Evenings.

The dinners always attract a good cross-section of members of Congress—conservatives and liberals, freshmen and seasoned legislators. Al Gore came as a congressman, Dan Quayle as a senator, and the Democratic and GOP leaders of Congress are all veterans. Ambassadors from countries as diverse as Nigeria, Denmark, and Australia, as well as the European Commission, have been guests. Private sector participants run the gamut from venture capitalists to CEOs and senior management of Fortune 500 companies, as well as heads of major U.S. trade associations.

Journalists at the session have ranged from conservative Bob Novak to liberal Eleanor Clift and include the Washington bureau chiefs of national, regional, and international newspapers, reporters from all the major networks, and editorial page editors and members.

To quote Senator Joe Lieberman, "It’s Washington’s last salon."

Recent Guests Included:

U.S. Senate

Mark Begich (D-AK)
Robert Bennett (R-UT)
Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Bob Corker (R-TN)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
George Voinovich (R-OH)

Ron Wyden (D-OR)

U.S. House of Representatives



Joe Barton (R-TX)
Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Charles Boustany (R-LA)

Allen F. Boyd (D-FL)
Dave Camp (R-MI)

Jim Cooper (D-TN)
Jim Costa (D-CA)
Joseph Crowley (D-NY)
Artur Davis (D-AL)
Bob Etheridge (D-NC)

Wally Herger (R-CA)
Darrell E. Issa (R-CA)
John Larson (D-CT)
Jim Matheson (D-UT)
Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Richard Neal (D-MA)
Jared Polis (D-Co)

Earl Pomeroy (D-ND)
Paul Ryan (R-WI)
Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-PA)

Journalists

Edmund Andrews, New York Times
Jim Angle, FOX News
Anne Applebaum, Washington Post
Michael Barone, U.S. News & World Report
Fred Barnes, The Weekly Standard
Tom Braithwaite, Financial Times
Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post
John Cochran, ABC News
Richard Cohen, National Journal
John Fialka, Wall Street Journal
Fred Hiatt, Washington Post
Michael Hirsch, Newsweek
Jessica Holzer, The Hill
Carl Hulse, New York Times
Al Hunt, Bloomberg News
Gregory Ip, Wall Street Journal
Paul Kane, Washington Post
Steve LaBaton, New York Times
Chuck Lane, Washington Post
Ruth Marcus, Washington Post
John McKinnon, Wall Street Journal
Steve Moore, Wall Street Journal
James Politi, Financial Times
Steve Power, Wall Street Journal
Jonathan Rauch, National Journal
Jason Riley, Wall Street Journal
Kathleen Schlach, NPR
Gerry Seib, Wall Street Journal
Ian Talley, Wall Street Journal
Monica Trauzzi, Energy & Environment TV
Jonathan Weisman, Washington Post