The Inflation Reduction Act. CHIPS & Science. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Kenneth Russell DeGraff helped design and pass all three as Speaker Nancy Pelosi's chief advisor on climate, technology, and science — a role he held for twelve years across nearly two decades on Capitol Hill. The result: lower energy bills, cleaner air in the communities that needed it most, and real jobs in districts that hadn't seen federal investment in a generation.

He works both sides of the equation: the inside game — threading impossible political needles, delivering victories with one-vote margins — and the outside game — public narratives that actually move opinion. From 2011 to 2022, he helped shift support for congressional climate action by nearly twenty points with a simple formula: call it pollution, not emissions; lead with public health; emphasize affordability; focus on local jobs. He turned dense policy into stories members could own in their districts.

He represented Speaker Pelosi across coalitions and negotiations spanning the full range of House priorities: pollution and public health, broadband and the homework gap, consumer protection, open internet policy, public lands and oceans, and the supply-chain economics of clean energy jobs. The through-line in every fight was the same — make the policy concrete enough that a member could explain it at a town hall.

"DeGraff helps the Speaker craft, promote, and pass bills with a special emphasis on technology and the environment.

In practical terms, he helps disparate Democrats--and even some Republicans--coalesce around legislation by smoothing over disagreements, finding common ground, and employing just a bit of horse trading."

- Out Magazine, Out 100
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