October 7, 2020
Since graduating from Nebraska College of Law in 2014, Bijan “BJ” Koohmaraie has been at the forefront of autonomous vehicle legislation and was named the 18 to Watch in ‘18. We talked to him about the most rewarding part of his job, the challenges he has overcome and his advice for college students.
Did you always know you wanted to go to law school?
I always had a sense I wanted to go but did not decide for certain to pursue a law degree until my time at Nebraska Wesleyan University for undergrad. Nebraska Wesleyan has a program called the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP) that enables a student to live and intern in Washington, DC, while also taking classes for a semester. I participated in the CHIP program my junior year — I interned for my hometown representative, Congressman Adrian Smith (NE-3) — and knew I always wanted to return. I knew then that the skills you develop through law school would help me in that endeavor.
Prior to your current job, you worked in the state’s Attorney General’s Office. What did you learn through that process and how did it prepare you for your work with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce?
My time at the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office really prepared me well to transition into public policy. Many of the skills you develop as a litigating attorney you use throughout the legislative process. You learn to be a strong writer, which helps you in drafting new federal policy; you learn to negotiate, which is crucial to finding bipartisan compromises; and you learn to critically think, which helps you dive into new policy areas and pick up crucial issues in those debates quickly. All of these skills I honed at the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and I certainly would not be where I am today without my experience there — as well as my mentors there who helped guide me.
Describe what you do for work and how important that work is.
I am the Director of Coalitions and Deputy Chief Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans. In my Coalitions role, I serve as the public-facing staff point of contact for our side of the Committee on all of our issues — we are the most powerful and longest-standing committee in Congress. We have jurisdiction over about half the economy — covering energy and environment issues, health care issues, telecommunications issues, and emerging technologies. I help build coalitions to drive legislative priorities, as well as keep our stakeholders engaged and informed on the process. Through this role, I have met many new people from a variety of areas, as well expand my knowledge on broader policy issues.
In my role as Deputy Chief Counsel, I serve on the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee and handle a portfolio of issues that includes emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and autonomous vehicles (AVs), as well as data privacy and data security issues. For any federal bill that touches on such issue areas, it has to go through my subcommittee and I advise our members on such policies. The importance of this role is advising the members on policy and working with my Democrat counterparts to find bipartisan solutions.
What was it like to work on the first bill on driverless cars? What challenges did you have to overcome?
The SELF DRIVE Act, which was the first-of-its-kind bill in Congress, was probably one of the more challenging and rewarding bills I’ve been a part of since joining the Hill in 2017. Motor vehicle regulations were written well before we contemplated cars driving themselves — so there are many outdated regulations that act as barriers to the continued development and eventual deployment of AVs. Our goal with the SELF DRIVE Act was to enact a national framework for the safe development and deployment of AVs.
The U.S. is home to the world’s most advanced AV companies, but we trail other countries because we do not have a national strategy or framework in place. The SELF DRIVE Act did a whole lot, but was based on a foundation that provided much-needed certainty by clarifying federal and state roles on regulating AVs; providing a path to commercialization by expanding exemptions — which allow companies to innovate without sacrificing safety; and by creating a level playing field to allow tech companies and new entrants to compete with traditional automakers.
The biggest challenge was the number of stakeholders involved — as you can imagine, the more cooks in the kitchen, the tougher it is to get across the finish line. The approach we took was a very transparent and deliberative process — to ensure everyone that wanted to provide input had that opportunity. It proved to be a successful strategy given every single Democrat and Republican on E&C voted for it (54–0 vote) and it sailed through the full House unanimously.
What advice would you give someone who is set to tackle a new idea?
Read and study. And when you think you’ve read and studied enough, read and study some more. You really have to dive into the issue to become as much of an expert in whatever new issue you are presented with. When it comes to the legislative process, you also have to engage in tons of outreach to make sure you understand where all the issues are for stakeholders — doing so helps you identify where compromises are possible.
What has been the most rewarding part of your job?
The most rewarding part of the job has been the relationships and friendships I’ve developed with members on our committee and my coworkers. D.C. sometimes gets a tough rap, but I’ve found most people out here are doing their best and many of us have shared goals, but we may disagree with the means for accomplishing such goals. That is particularly true on the Energy and Commerce Committee. We have our fights, but for the most part, we find compromise. For example, under Chairman Walden — in the 115th Congress — 96 percent of the bills we considered in Committee received bipartisan votes.
How did it feel to be named 18 to Watch in ’18?
It was a really cool honor to be named 18 to watch in ‘18 — particularly given the others on the list. Especially after such a short time on the Hill, to make an impact and have others recognize that work is always a great feeling.
Was there someone at Nebraska that had the biggest impact on you?
Everyone at the Law College was so helpful in guiding me to prepare me for my role at the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and now here on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Dean Moberly was always so generous with his time and willingness to connect. Professor Berger’s Statutory Interpretation class was easily my favorite and the knowledge I gained from him I continue to utilize — he will probably appreciate knowing the book and materials from his class sit on my desk and I reference them often.
I am also lucky to work with Professor Hurwitz now — he was kind enough to come testify before our Committee earlier this year. I’m really excited to see what the Law College does with the new Governance and Technology Center under his leadership and to continue to work on tech issues with the Center.
I’d be remiss not to mention Professor Perry at Nebraska Wesleyan University as well. He has been a mentor and a friend. He helped guide me through school and has been an invaluable sounding board. I’m glad we remain in touch.
What did you learn in your time at Nebraska Law that you’ve taken with you and continue to use every day?
Preparation and hard work. If you are willing to put in the time and are well prepared, you can outwork many. I learned at the Law College how important it is to put in the time and be ready.
What is one piece of advice you’d give a college student?
My advice would be to ask questions and be willing to put in the time. When I was at the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office I badgered my colleagues — Ryan Post, David Lopez, Blake Johnson, and Jim Smith — constantly with questions and, thankfully, they were always willing to help out and bend an ear when I needed a sounding board. And I really cannot emphasize enough how putting in the hard work and time pays off. Just be sure no one is outworking you.