Congressional Affairs Major Convenings

The Congressional Affairs program at the German Marshall Fund engages with members of the U.S. Congress and of parliaments across Europe through a number of major convenings. The Congress-Bundestag Forum, started in 2004 by GMF and the Robert Bosch Stiftung, convenes members of the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag once a year for a series of discussions on areas of mutual concern. Furthermore, we take Congressional delegations to GMF’s annual Brussels Forum, in addition to leading study tours for Members of Congress and their staff dedicated to exploring a variety of issues relevant to the transatlantic policy sphere. The Congressional Affairs program also hosts visiting Members of Parliament and parliamentary staffers in Washington, DC.

Brussels Forum

Each year, GMF organizes Congressional delegations to its major international conference - Brussels Forum. Brussels Forum is a high-level meeting featuring the most influential North American and European political, intellectual, and corporate leaders to address pressing challenges currently facing both sides of the Atlantic.

Transatlantic Technology Congressional Delegation

The Transatlantic Technology Congressional Delegation (TTCD) focuses on the expanding importance of digital and data policy in the transatlantic space. Through direct engagement with political, industry, and academic stakeholders; TTCD will examine the opportunities and challenges brought on by the rapid growth of the transatlantic digital relationship.

Congress - Bundestag Forum

The Congress - Bundestag Forum (CBF) is a project that has been undertaken annually by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Robert Bosch Stiftung since 2004. The Forum is a parliamentary exchange that brings together members of the German Bundestag and members of the U.S. House of Representatives for a series of discussions on areas of mutual concern. The Forum alternates location each year between the United States and Germany.

Congressional Chief of Staff Study Tour to Germany

The Congressional Chief of Staff Study Tour, inaugurated in 2013, is designed to introduce senior congressional staffers to various key aspects of contemporary German politics. Through discussions with government officials, business representatives, academics, and journalists, the study tours aims to provide chiefs of staff with a clearer understanding of Germany’s position within current political and economic debates, the country’s domestic political system, and the state of the transatlantic relationship.

Congress-Bundestag Forum: Freshmen Members of the Bundestag Study Tour

Building on the success of the Congress - Bundestag Forum in the United States and Germany for over a decade, GMF and the Robert Bosch Foundation launched a study tour format in 2013 to provide a new context and perspective for the development of a common transatlantic policy agenda among members of Congress and members of the Bundestag vis-a-vis pivotal countries. Country destinations have included Morocco, India, and Turkey. The study tour format serves to deepen personal ties between U.S. and German policymakers that have been formed over the past years, while offering an in-depth view of a country that affects the transatlantic relationship.

Newly-elected Bundestag Study Tour to Washington D.C.

The Bundestag Study Tour brings a delegation of newly-elected members from the German Bundestag to Washington, DC to examine current trends and issues in U.S. politics. It is critical that the newly elected members of the Bundestag are exposed to U.S. politics, in order to promote a new generation of transatlanticists. This study tour provides contact and perspectives on the United States for German lawmakers interested in transatlantic relations.