Walmart Shadowing
Shadowing at Walmart was a unique experience. Working on Capitol Hill, I have only experienced the public sectors perspective on legislation. However, shadowing at Walmart allowed me to see first hand how the largest private employer lobbies the Federal Government. Lobbying in general has had a very negative view in recent political discourse. This is especially true today as Banking Reform is on the horizon. My mentor, Belinda Garza, works on Health and Wellness issues with the Federal Government. Her role as a lobbyist is to not only influence policy on behalf of Walmart, but also represent the interest of both employees and consumers of Walmart. This is unique for Walmart as it is the both the largest employer and retailer. It has been very interesting to see how important Walmart is to lawmakers. Their relationship is rooted in the responsibilities they both have to their customer, the US population. Walmart large stake in the economy has presented them with a unique opportunity to not only lower costs for consumer, but also provide their consumers with vital needs that the government cannot. During my shadowing, I learned the Walmart is hard at work trying to analyze how the Health Care reform is going to affect their consumers. Specifically, how Walmart can continue to lower prescription drug prices. These efforts are not just in the best interests for Walmart’s bottom line, they are also for citizens access to affordable health care. These types of efforts are often left out of the conversation when talking about lobbying groups such as Walmart. Nonetheless, they are an integral part of Walmart’s lobbying agenda. My key take away from this experience has to be the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors. Keeping partnerships with corporations such as Walmart are invaluable to both the Federal Government and non-profit organizations. These relationships can lead to positive results in our communities. Belinda was a great role model of this. Her efforts to promote Latino leadership have lead Walmart to sponsor my Internship here in DC. Without Walmart’s help, CHCI’s mission to bring Latinos to the Hill would have been a much more cumbersome task. Belinda has been a great friend to CHCI and me personally. Her passion for advancing Health policy is very admirable. It is my hope that I continue to stay in touch with her as my career here in DC begins. Overall, my time at Walmart was a very rewarding one. Walmart has many good ideas that will be beneficial to their consumers and the country at large.
