Why Engineers Should Brave Capitol Hill
When San Antonio–based software engineer Nikhil Jathar first went to Washington, D.C., to advocate for federal support for technology education and research funding, he was in awe of the opportunity. It was spring of 2025, not long after Jathar settled in the United States from India, when he got an invitation to join the annual Congressional Visits Day organized by IEEE-USA . “My first reaction…
Nikhil Jathar, a software engineer from San Antonio, was invited to visit Capitol Hill to advocate for federal support for technology education and research funding. Jathar, CTO of AvanSaber, a business software company he co-founded in 2014, was initially excited to attend the annual Congressional Visits Day organized by IEEE-USA.
Initially, Jathar did not have a specific lobbying position, but after attending the event, he realized the importance of advocating for his views. He decided to advocate for smart grid funding, Department of Energy research, and STEM education. Jathar's preparation included understanding congressional rules and sticking to IEEE-USA's talking points.
He visited the offices of representatives from both political parties, such as Greg Casar (D-Texas), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), and Barry Moore (R-Ala.). Jathar's visits were short but focused, with simple visual aids to help communicate technical information. He was advised to be clear on what he was asking for and to keep track of Congress's schedule, such as appropriations season and the next budget being set.
Written by urgent.news from IEEE Spectrum's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
