Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures came into his job with “eyes wide open.”
Unlike most freshmen lawmakers, he had years of experience in Washington as an aide to former Sen. Sherrod Brown, deputy chief of staff to former Attorney General Merrick Garland and domestic director of presidential personnel in the Obama White House. He knew exactly what to expect from the city. Now as a congressman, he’s hoping to communicate to his constituents in Alabama that Washington isn’t just a “buzzword that doesn’t impact them.”
“What’s happening up here every single day is impacting real people in real ways, whether they know it or not; it’s our job to make sure that they’re getting that information,” Figures told NOTUS on a busy in-session day, as the bell announcing vote series rang in the background and visitors rotated through his office.