About Congressional Briefings

The AHA’s briefings have been attended by staffers from the House of Representatives and the Senate, the White House, and federal agencies and research institutions, and have informed policy decisions at the highest levels.

To learn about the history of the Congressional Briefings series, please check out “Back in Session: The Return of the Congressional Briefings Program” by Dane Kennedy (Perspectives on History, November 2023), and visit our Past Congressional Briefings page.

The AHA is grateful to the Mellon Foundation for its generous support of the Congressional Briefings series.

2023-24 Briefings

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February 6, 2024

Washington, DC

Historical Perspectives on Sanctions

November 29, 2023

Washington, DC

Historical Perspectives on Federal Housing Policy

September 29, 2023

Washington, DC

History of US-China Relations

2005-2020 Congressional Briefings

The AHA has hosted Congressional Briefings since 2005, on issues ranging from healthcare policy, to gun rights and regulations, to farm policy, and other topics of importance to Congress.

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History and Policy Education Program

The AHA’s History and Policy Education Program (HPEP) brings the principles of the Congressional Briefings program into the classroom to help students appreciate the importance of bringing historical perspectives to contemporary policy conversations. This initiative provides a guide for history educators to develop and host briefings about the historical dimensions of current policy questions, using materials from past briefings.

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The AHA is pleased to speak with and provide resources for journalists and the media. If you are a member of the media and would like to submit a request for a referral or interview, please email press@historians.org.