Ballard Partners’ 13th & Park: 4 Interviews with Congressional Leaders You Need to Watch
It’s an impressive feat to become a member of the US Congress. After all, only a few hundred elected officials at a time have the honor. Even fewer, however, ascend through the ranks of the House of Representatives or Senate to chair a standing committee. These committees play a critical function in our democracy—they’re where legislation is drafted and recommended for consideration by the House or Senate.
Ballard Partners’ popular digital show, 13th & Park, has welcomed a number of US senators and representatives as guests. The show, hosted by award-winning media consultant Adam Goodman, has also featured discussions with several congressional committee chairs. Here’s a look at four such leaders who have appeared on 13th & Park.
Jason Smith
Jason Smith has chaired the Ways and Means Committee since 2023. Selected by his colleagues for the position when he was only 42, he is youngest person to serve as Ways and Means chairman since the antebellum era.
Under his leadership, the committee is better aligning itself with the interests of working Americans. Over the last two years, Smith has worked to lower taxes, pursue tariff reform, and provide regulatory relief, all with the goal of putting the country on a path to success.
Smith had been representing Missouri’s 8th congressional district for 10 years when he was named committee chairman. In September 2025, he joined 13th & Park to outline his vision for American’s economic future and discuss his path from fourth-generation family farmer to the halls of Congress.
Mike Rogers
As chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Mike Rogers advocates for a robust national security and national defense apparatus. He joined 13th & Park in October 2025 to discuss the ways in which the county must improve its defense and security, including by modernizing its weapons and strategy.
Rogers has especially focused on strengthening the military interests of his Alabama district, which is home to Fort Benning and the Anniston Army Depot, the latter of which performs a vital role in servicing military equipment. Rogers became chairman in 2023 after previously serving as ranking member. During the first Trump administration, he was a key figure in overseeing the establishment of the Space Force.
Mike Crapo
Mike Crapo’s commitment to public service has taken him from the Idaho state legislature to the House of Representatives to the Senate. Since 2025, he has served as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. He is also a current member and former chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee, as well as a current member of the Budget Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
Crapo’s many years in the Senate—he has held his seat since 1999—and his many committee posts have made him well versed in economic policy. He draws on that knowledge to support legislation that helps Americans, especially his Idaho constituents, achieve economic prosperity. As a guest on 13th & Park in August 2025, he talked with Goodman about how he believes the “Big Beautiful Bill” will do just that.
Mark Green
Prior to his resignation from Congress in 2025, Mark Green joined Goodman in August 2024 to discuss Iran, China, and other homeland security threats. At the time, the Tennessee congressman was serving as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.
Green’s belief in the global need for a strong America was forged during his service in the Army. A graduate of West Point, he gave 24 years to the military, over which time he completed three tours. During Operation Red Dawn in 2003, he interrogated deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Green is also a physician who founded a successful healthcare company. After representing Tennessee’s 7th congressional district for six years, he decided to return to the private sector to pursue a new business opportunity.