BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Suhail Khan, director of external affairs at Microsoft
How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “I’m celebrating with friends, family and the Wil Gravatt Band at the American Legion on Capitol Hill.”
How did you get your start in politics? “As a 17-year-old freshman at Cal-Berkeley, I was inspired by Ronald Reagan to join Young Americans for Freedom and work on the Bush ’88 presidential campaign.”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or finished? And why? “I just started reading ‘The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For,’ a collection of speeches by David McCullough. McCullough authored ‘The Great Bridge,’ ‘Truman,’ ‘John Adams,’ ‘1776’ and so many other important books on American history, and his inspirational speeches serve to underscore just how exceptional we are as Americans.”
What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention?
“It’s no doubt that we’re less trusting of institutions including political, organized religion and traditional media, but what’s often overlooked is that we’re more connected, living longer and, increasingly, we’re pursuing professions and lives of service, giving and ones that provide a sense of both civic and personal fulfillment.”
How is the Trump presidency going? “I’m excited for the nomination and confirmations of Justice Neal Gorsuch and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, and really hope we can get tax reform especially for the middle class and small-business owners.”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I was a nanny in college, have ridden a ‘61 Harley Davidson since high school and am currently restoring a ‘67 Shelby Mustang GT500. I was also front row for Metallica three times this summer.”