Q: Who usually writes the tweets for your committee account?
A: With 34 Republican members on the Financial Services Committee, tweets from @FinancialCmte are the product of a coordinated team effort. The Twitter account supports our members on issues within our jurisdiction and also reflects the priorities set forth by Chairman Spencer Bachus
Spencer Thomas BachusManufacturing group leads coalition to urge Congress to reauthorize Ex-Im Bank Biz groups take victory lap on Ex-Im Bank On The Money: White House files notice of China tariff hikes | Dems cite NYT report in push for Trump tax returns | Trump hits Iran with new sanctions | Trump praises GM for selling shuttered Ohio factory | Ex-Im Bank back at full strength MORE (R-Ala.), @BachusAL06: A stronger economy, more jobs and no more bailouts.
Q: When did the committee first sign onto Twitter?
A: This weekend actually marks the @FinancialCmte’s Twitter birthday of three years.
It offers an excellent way for people to quickly and easily know exactly what is going on, 140 characters at a time. This is the people’s House, and we maintain an active presence on Twitter and other social media sites like Facebook and YouTube because the American people deserve access, transparency and accountability from their government.
Q: What do you see as the most significant purpose of Twitter for the committee?
A: Twitter allows Americans from coast to coast the opportunity to engage with the committee right as the issues they care about unfold. Equally as important, it also allows us the opportunity to inform the public about the committee’s policy priorities and efforts to help create an environment for more jobs.
Q: Example of a "best" Twitter moment?
A: We often live-tweet hearings. Last fall, for example, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner was scheduled to testify before the committee, but that morning the hearing had to be postponed by three hours. We used Twitter to inform our followers about the time change, as well as to provide a link so that people could live-stream the hearing from their own computers (as we do with all our D.C. hearings).
During that hearing, Secretary Geithner admitted, on the record, that Dodd-Frank regulations will burden private-sector job creators and increase their costs. Not only that, he said that was “their objective.” Thanks to Twitter, we were able to draw a clear contrast between the administration’s policies and our own, even as the hearing was still going on. In fact, The Hill’s own Twitter Room picked up on it.
Q: Example of a "worst" Twitter moment?
A: @FinancialCmte has jurisdiction over the banking system, housing, insurance and securities and exchanges, all of which can be complicated at times. But the reality is that these are issues that affect every family in America. Our challenge is condensing complex matters into nice, neat, 140-character tweets. That is why in most tweets, we also include links where followers can click through to find more information on a given topic, either on our website, a news article or a video on our YouTube channel.
Connect with @FinancialCmte on Twitter, where the committee currently has 6,010 followers.
Click to find out all about @FinancialCmte's jurisdiction: ow.ly/b3hxV #FederalReserve #Treasury #HUD #FHA #FDIC
— Financial Services (@FinancialCmte) May 24, 2012
Previous "Follow Friday” Twitter profiles have included Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), Mike Honda (Calif.), Jim Himes (Conn.), Rush Holt (N.J.), Jared Polis (Colo.), Judy Chu (Calif.), Jackie Speier (Calif.) and Chellie Pingree (Maine) and Republican Reps. Bob Latta (Ohio), Glenn Thompson (Pa.), John Shimkus (Ill.), David Schweikert
David SchweikertEmbattled Schweikert beats back Democratic challenge in Arizona 10 bellwether House races to watch on election night Energized by polls, House Democrats push deeper into GOP territory MORE (Ariz.), Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), Billy Long (Mo.), Paul Gosar
Paul Anthony GosarOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Republicans in campaign mode for top spots on House environmental committees | Peterson loss prompts scramble for House Agriculture chair Republicans in campaign mode for top spots on House environmental committees Frankel defeats Loomer in Florida House race MORE (Ariz.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Geoff Davis (Ky.) and Marsha Blackburn
Marsha BlackburnSenate GOP to drop documentary series days before election hitting China, Democrats over coronavirus Senate Judiciary to vote on subpoena for Twitter CEO next week Government efforts to 'fix' social media bias overlooks the destruction of our discourse MORE (Tenn.), as well as the Republican-led House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
