Panel 1: Introduction to Congress and the Legislative Process

Rodney is an accomplished health care advisor with more than two decades on the Hill where he specialized in rural health, the health care safety net and disability policy. With more than 25 years of experience, Rodney possesses and offers clients the kind of knowledge that is uniquely available to those who have drafted and advanced legislation. He strategically guides clients through dense Medicare and Medicaid issues that have significant business impact. While working in Congress, Rodney served as former US Representative Charlie Norwood’s (R-GA) health policy director where he managed the Patients’ Bill of Rights (S.1890), among other notable health policy matters. Rodney then went on to serve Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the Senate. He first joined the Senate Finance Committee Staff as a health policy advisor to Chairman Grassley, and ultimately joined the Senator’s personal office as health policy director. During his time in the Senate, Rodney served as the lead Republican staffer for Medicaid legislation from 2005 to 2010, and continued to serve Senator Grassley on all health-related issues through 2015. During his time in the Senate, Rodney helped staff Republicans in the Senate on such prominent and important legislation as the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007 and 2009 and Affordable Care Act of 2010. For the last 20 years, Rodney has been an adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health’s Department of Health Policy and Management, and the Graduate School of Political Management’s Department of Legislative Affairs. Hundreds of students have taken Rodney’s courses and have gone on to pursue careers in Washington, DC.

Stacy Sanders is Chief Health Advisor to Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) on the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Before returning to the U.S. Senate, Stacy served in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief Competition Officer and Counselor to Secretary Xavier Becerra of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Stacy joined HHS after five years in the U.S. Senate, where she served as Staff Director and Deputy Staff Director of the Senate Special Committee on Aging for U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA). Prior to that, Stacy served as Federal Policy Director of the Medicare Rights Center. She has a Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan and resides in Washington, DC with her husband and son.

Nolan Ahern was born and raised in Alexandria, VA and graduated from Villanova University with a degree in economics and a minor in communications. He spent five years working for Representative Greg Walden (R-OR), before moving to the Energy & Commerce Committee to work on surprise medical billing and private insurance issues. He then spent two years as a Professional Staff Member for the House Ways & Means Committee. He is now the Deputy Policy Director for the House Majority Whip, Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN), working on health care and a number of other issues. He has a wife Jenny and a dog Ted, both more popular on the Hill than he is.