AOA on Capitol Hill
The joint AOA on Capitol Hill and AOA Payer Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., was April 24-26. The AOA’s single-largest annual advocacy experience—and a foundation of optometry’s federal advocacy efforts—returned to an in-person format, in conjunction with the AOA Payer Advocacy Summit, with a focus on addressing the federal advocacy and national payer issues most pressing for optometry practices.
Directly connecting the profession’s leaders with national policy leaders, AOA on Capitol Hill is a key reason why the AOA is consistently recognized as one of the most effective, respected advocacy organizations in the nation’s capital. Following two years of virtual programming, AOA on Capitol Hill looks to bolster momentum gained in 2020 and 2021 with optometry coming together, in-person, once again, while also utilizing new technologies to allow for some virtual attendance and participation. All attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. Registration and housing for AOA on Capitol Hill have closed. However, you can engage the conversation and follow live updates on social media using the hashtag, #EyesontheHill2022, or visiting our social wall. Please note that event registration does not guarantee participation in Capitol Hill meetings on Tuesday, April 26. Additionally, please review the AOA's guidelines for attending an in-person meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about downloading our event app for AOA on Capitol Hill. |
Political luncheon keynote speaker
Chris Stirewalt
Popular political analyst, commentator and best-selling author
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For more than two decades, Chris Stirewalt has been a leading and trusted voice in U.S. politics. One of today’s liveliest political commentators, he is highly regarded for his candid and straightforward analysis of our current political climate—using his signature ‘tell-it-like-it-is’ approach to cover the most significant issues of the day and provide his expert outlook for the future. Stirewalt is also the author of the book Every Man a King: A Short Colorful History of American Populists, a dynamic account of America’s populist tradition.
Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Stirewalt is an expert storyteller and astute speaker who keeps audiences engrossed with his trademark humor while breaking down complex political issues. He offers candid and witty insights on the current political climate and the latest happenings on Capitol Hill and in the White House, as well as a breakdown of how our political party system reached its current state of polarization and what he sees coming down the pike in Washington and across the nation. Stirewalt is a quickly rising star on news and within political circles whose speeches offer the perfect balance between meaty and hard-hitting takeaways and entertaining personal and professional anecdotes.
Most recently, he served as the politics editor for the Fox News Channel (FNC), where he helped coordinate political coverage across Fox. His extremely popular daily newsletter, Fox News Halftime Report, had more than half a million subscribers, and his podcast he co-hosted with Dana Perino, "I’ll Tell You What," was so successful that it was spun off into a television show of the same name leading up to the 2016 election—an industry first. Joining FNC’s Washington bureau in 2010, Stirewalt made daily appearances on multiple Fox network programs, including "America’s Newsroom," "Outnumbered," "Special Report with Bret Baier" and "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace". He was also a part of the Fox News Decision Desk team, where he called races on election nights, and hosted the "Fox Nation Halftime Report" streaming show.
Prior to joining FNC, Stirewalt served as political editor for The Washington Examiner where he wrote a twice-weekly column and led political coverage for the newspaper. He also served as politics editor at the Charleston Daily Mail and West Virginia Media. Stirewalt began his career at the Wheeling Intelligencer in West Virginia.
He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.