Chad Schulken spent a 16-year career on Capitol Hill as a respected Senate aide and senior appropriations expert. He has been involved in virtually every aspect of the development, consideration, and passage of regular appropriation bills, war supplemental appropriations, and disaster relief bills.
“Chad has been a force in the appropriations world on Capitol Hill, and he is broadly recognized as a subject matter expert with a remarkable ability to get things done,” said H. Stewart “Stu” Van Scoyoc, President & CEO of VSA. “His finger has been on the pulse of the appropriations process for years; he understands our country’s spending needs and priorities, and he has a deep understanding of the impact appropriations decisions have on active military, veterans and the families who support them. His unique talents are an important addition to our growing team at VSA, and we’re elated about the value he will bring to our roster of clients.”
Most recently, Schulken was Clerk of the Senate Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee where he was the lead Democratic staffer responsible for negotiating and assisting in the development of the appropriations bill. Aside from his expertise in budgetary policy, appropriations law, and Senate procedure, he is also considered a subject matter expert in many areas including VA healthcare policy which affects the nation’s largest integrated healthcare delivery system, Information Technology Systems, benefits delivery systems, federal acquisition and infrastructure investment.
“I’m thrilled to join a team of respected government affairs professionals that has an established, quarter-century track record of helping clients solve complex public policy challenges,” said Schulken. “I look forward to putting my experience and expertise to work for VSA clients.”
Chad Schulken began his Senate career with the Committee on Appropriations as Professional Staff on the Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Subcommittee in 2003 (now Commerce, Justice, Science). While on the Subcommittee, he specialized in budgetary and policy matters affecting the Department of Justice and the Federal Judiciary, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the United States Marshals Service. During this time, he was charged with working across the aisle to develop the annual appropriation for each of these Departments and Agencies, and to negotiate with the House of Representatives on final spending levels.
