On April 16, the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy hosted former United States representatives Annie Kuster ’78, D-N.H. and Alex Mooney ’93, R-W.Va, to speak about how Congress can operate more effectively during an era of political polarization.
The event, titled “Congressional Checks and Balances,” was the second event in theRockefeller Center’s 100 Days Speaker Series. The series features guests with different political views who discuss the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
Rockefeller Center director Jason Barabas ’93, Colin Jung ’28 of the Dartmouth Conservatives and Prescott Herzog ’25 of the Dartmouth Democrats moderated the event.
Barabas opened by asking the two former representatives to reflect on their time in Congress and “how the Dartmouth experience may have shaped you.” Kuster — who graduated in the College’s third co-ed class — said she has “love-hate feelings towards the experience” at Dartmouth but still feels “incredibly blessed by the opportunity and by the responsibility that we were given at such a young age.” She noted that at Dartmouth she learned meaningful skills for her life, such as learning how to “juggle a lot.”
“Understanding that people have a different life experience and being able to work together was a skill that I learned here,” Kuster said.
Mooney also said he gained a similar desire for “working together” at Dartmouth. He explained that when running for and serving in Congress “you pretty much surround yourself with people who think like you.” While at Dartmouth, however, Mooney had a friend who was “as liberal as I was conservative.” Despite ideological differences, the two would debate each other frequently and see where they could find agreement.
“We would never call each other names; we would never insult each other,” Mooney said. “We really believed that [the] other was trying to do what they thought was right.”
When Jung asked about presidents making decisions “without consulting Congress,” both Mooney and Kuster agreed that it has been a “trend.” Mooney expressed frustration that “Congress has nothing to do” with many key issues, such as military actions.
Kuster expressed similar dismay with Congress’ current power, and said that “President Trump has taken it to the next level” by freezing funds that were “appropriated by Congress.” The executive orders from administration to administration have made policies “[swing] back and forth so dramatically without going to Congress,” which she characterized as “very chaotic.”
During an audience question-and-answer session following the debate, a student asked about Congress’ role the “in bringing meritocracy back to the executive branch and agencies.” Kuster argued that the process of presidential appointments gaining the consent and approval of the Senate has been “lost,” particularly with the prominence of Elon Musk.
Mooney stated that the president doesn’t need to choose between “loyalty or meritocracy,” but can value both. The Senate “can confirm or not confirm if someone's being appointed to run a department,” Mooney said, and that process gives people the “type of government they deserve.” Mooney also stated, however, that he does not believe that Elon Musk should undergo a Senate confirmation.
“He’s making recommendations,” Mooney said.
The final student asked what young Americans can be hopeful for in the current political climate. In response, Kuster and Mooney both emphasized civic engagement and involvement.
Kuster said that she is hopeful about the conversations she has had on campus in the past couple days, where students have shown compassion about “complex and difficult issues.” Mooney expressed a similar sentiment, noting that “our system still allows for input and activism at all levels.
“It’s our civic duty to vote,” Mooney said. “There’s a whole lot more you can do … go knock on doors for a campaign, donate even a small amount, fundraise, or get involved in a campaign … there’s a lot of ways people can be involved.”
In an interview after the event, attendee Maya Spektorov ’28 said she was “impressed” by the quality of the debate.
“I was really impressed at how well spoken both of them were about some really important topics,” Spektorov said.
Atticus Belcher ’28 said he was particularly interested in this debate because it featured former members of Congress that would have “genuine” debate and disagreement that would reflect the “true reality of politics right now.” Belcher also said he was curious to hear the views of a “far-right congressman” like Mooney, since Dartmouth is an “echo chamber” that doesn’t typically feature those opinions.
“Half the country voted for Donald Trump, and so being able to hear those arguments, where they’re coming from, that’s going to be way more beneficial,” Belcher said.
