Andrew Desiderio
Andrew Desiderio on What’s Next for the House and Speakership
Andrew Desiderio
Keynote Speaker
Senior Congressional Reporter, Punchbowl News
Andrew Desiderio is a Capitol Hill-based journalist with direct access to the nation’s most powerful leaders. Desiderio has a unique ability to cut through the noise and use his first-hand experience and knowledge of Washington’s power dynamics to explain what’s really happening in the halls of the Capitol, the White House, on the campaign trail, and beyond.
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Andrew Desiderio'S SPEAKING FEE Under $25,000
Andrew Desiderio is a Washington-based journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering Congress, domestic policy, foreign affairs, and campaigns and elections.
During that time, Desiderio has forged relationships and built trust with lawmakers in both parties and across the ideological spectrum as he has covered every major legislative battle, two presidential impeachments, five election cycles, and classified congressional investigations. One of the best-sourced reporters on Capitol Hill, Desiderio has broken major stories and has traveled the country and the world with members of Congress, from the leadership, down to the rank-and-file. Holding our nation’s leaders accountable, Desiderio’s reporting on the mysterious illness known as “Havana Syndrome” prompted Congress to draft and pass the HAVANA Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2021.
At a time when U.S. politics has never been more volatile, Desiderio tells you what’s really happening inside the halls of power, illuminated by first-hand vignettes that bring audiences closer to the story. Desiderio regularly appears on cable news networks, podcasts, and other media to discuss his reporting and other news of the day. He also interviews members of Congress and other newsmakers on-stage at Punchbowl News’ exclusive events. Desiderio is a first generation American and speaks fluent Italian.
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Andrew Desiderio on What’s Next for the House and Speakership
Andrew Desiderio’s Speech Topics
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Politics and Elections
Andrew Desiderio has covered five election cycles and traveled across the country speaking with voters and interviewing candidates for the presidency, the House, and the Senate. While he spends most of his time on Capitol Hill, he views it as essential to get out of the bubble and capture the pulse of the electorate. With the 2024 election shaping up to be a contest like no other, Desiderio can provide unique insights and firsthand accounts that will help corporations and individuals better understand and plan for different electoral outcomes.
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Current Events
Reporting on Congress often means covering multiple policy topics at the same time, from taxes and health care to authorizations for the use of military force and major bipartisan initiatives such as infrastructure funding, foreign aid, and artificial intelligence. When there’s a natural disaster, Americans turn to Congress to authorize funding for relief efforts and lawmakers are constantly being briefed on threats from terrorism to the war in Ukraine to unrest in the Middle East. Andrew Desiderio has a wide range of subject-matter expertise and can illuminate what’s going on in the country and throughout the world. Not to mention Congress’ annual “must-pass” agenda items, from government funding to raising the debt ceiling and passing the defense policy bill.
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Foreign Affairs
For two years, Desiderio’s exclusive policy focus on Capitol Hill was foreign policy. While the executive branch is the main driver of the country’s posture on the world stage, Congress has an indispensable role to play, from confirming nominees to receiving classified briefings on global threats. In the aftermath of Russia’s 2016 election interference, Desiderio revealed the Trump administration’s attempts to water down a set of mandatory sanctions enacted by Congress, and how lawmakers including the late Sen. John McCain were using their levers of power to prompt a course correction. Desiderio also covered the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was being closely monitored by Congress. And his reporting on the mysterious illness known as “Havana Syndrome” prompted Congress to draft and pass the HAVANA Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2021. Congress’ actions — or lack of action — often has direct consequences on U.S. foreign policy, from the battlefield conditions in Ukraine to whether U.S. allies can buy American-made weapons.
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Congress and The Politics of Governing
Let’s face it, the legislative sausage-making process is a complicated mess that never truly makes sense in the end. With nearly a decade of covering congressional leadership and legislative battles, Desiderio has a firm grasp of the strengths, weaknesses, incentives, and threats that drive House and Senate leaders’ daily decision making. He is an expert in legislative procedure and has a unique ability to cut through the congressional jargon and explain what’s happening in the leadership suites and cloakrooms of the House and Senate.
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