Government – Alec Schemmel

Based in Washington, DC, journalism student Alec Schemmel earned a spot on the Dean’s List at Gannon University in 2016, and American University in 2018. Currently, Alec Schemmel is serving as a congressional intern for the ninth congressional district of North Carolina in the US House of Representatives. In this role, he performs tasks that range from legislative research and writing to constituent correspondence and leading tours of the U.S. Capitol.

The initial plan for the U.S. Capitol was created by Dr. William Thornton in the 1790s. Construction took place over the next several years, under the supervision of several different architects. In 1814, the Capitol building was set on fire by British troops as part of the War of 1812, and as a result it was not completed until 1826. Subsequent expansions and renovations took place in the 1850s and into the 1900s.

Today, the Capitol building serves as the home of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The design of the Capitol was inspired by both Greek and Roman architecture, as a nod to the ideals of the nation’s founders. Works of art depicting American historical events hang throughout its interior. Tours of the US Capitol visit the Crypt, the Rotunda, and the National Statuary Hall. Visitors are not permitted to visit the Senate and House galleries as part of a tour.

Alec Christopher Schemmel is a journalism and political science student at American University. A prolific writer, Alec Schemmel recently worked as an editorial intern and authored numerous pieces on current events.

An October 2019 article written by Alec Schemmel took a look at Capitol Hill committee hearings related to e-cigarettes and vaping-related fatalities. Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee Nita Lowey made the case that a generation of American youth is succumbing to nicotine addiction. Figures point to 25 percent of young people using e-cigarettes, with 26 vaping-linked fatalities at the time of the hearing.

Oklahoma Representative Tom Cole, agreeing in substance with his Democratic colleagues but differing in the message, pointed to a particular connection between illnesses and the use of black market THC vaping devices. Cole argued that market growth occurring in tandem with the relaxation of marijuana laws boosts demand for black market vaping devices. Other representatives pointed to a lack of hard data as a major obstacle in forging a coherent approach to a serious behavioral and health crisis.

Category: Government

The US Capitol Building, A National Icon

Capitol Hill Committee on Vaping-Linked Illnesses