华盛顿-华盛顿(美联社)——乔·拜登总统任命资深国会助理舒万扎·戈夫(Shuwanza Goff)为新的立法事务主任，这使她成为首位担任白宫驻国会山首席特使的黑人女性。舒万扎·戈夫在本届政府开始时也是他与众议院的主要联系人。
戈夫将接替路易莎·特雷尔(Louisa Terrell)的职位，对于一位在国会工作了30多年、并以自己与立法者的关系为傲的总统来说，这个职位尤为重要。戈夫上任时不仅与民主党人有着深厚的关系，还与共和党人有着深厚的关系，包括众议院议长凯文·麦卡锡，加利福尼亚州共和党人，他们在国会山磨砺了十多年。
在宣布这一任命的声明中，拜登称戈夫是“一位久经考验的领导人，是过道两边值得信赖的声音”，他在他总统任期头两年最大的立法成就中发挥了关键作用，包括新冠肺炎救济，重大气候，税收和卫生保健以及最高法院大法官克坦吉·布朗·杰克逊的确认。在加入拜登政府之前，戈夫是民主党众议员Steny Hoyer的高级助手，最终在Hoyer为众议院民主党领导层服务时成为他的发言人。
“舒万扎与我在众议院和参议院数十年的朋友们的亲密伙伴关系，以及她的专业知识、直觉和对民主党的深切尊重美国国会将继续为我们的政府和美国人民服务。
38岁的戈夫此前担任白宫立法事务和众议院联络副主任，这使她成为众议院议员的主要联系人。今年早些时候，她离开政府，进入私营部门，然后重返白宫。
戈夫进入这个角色时，面临着许多直接的挑战。在未来几周，国会将不得不决定如何重新授权联邦航空管理局，确保通过全面的国防政策一揽子计划，避免政府关门同时在参议院应付无数的确认战。在这些立法斗争中，戈夫的任务将是确保拜登的议程保持完整，同时管理与对抗性的众议院共和党会议的关系，这些会议的优先事项截然不同——认识她的人说，她有能力应对这一挑战。
麦卡锡告诉美联社:“舒万扎是我的朋友，两党的国会议员都知道她是一名政策专家，拥有立法和行政部门的经验和机构知识。”“白宫很幸运有她回来。”
作为霍耶的发言人，戈夫协调众议院的立法活动，这使她与民主党和共和党领导人、参议院和白宫保持联系。她是第一个担任那个职位的黑人女性。
霍耶说，他对戈夫的任命感到“欣喜若狂”,他说，在白宫应对即将到来的挑战时，她的智慧、在民主党和共和党中的信誉以及她的直爽举止将有利于拜登。
霍耶说:“她是一个容易共事的人，她非常聪明。”。“她不炫耀聪明，你明白我的意思吗?她很聪明，人们知道她很聪明，但她也有同理心和耐心去倾听别人的观点。"
戈夫拥有田纳西大学和美利坚大学的学位，是弗吉尼亚州人。
Biden chooses a longtime Hill aide respected by Republicans as his new legislative affairs director
WASHINGTON -- WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is tapping Shuwanza Goff — a veteran congressional aide who also served as his main point of contact to the House at the start of the administration — as his new director of legislative affairs, making her the first Black woman to be the White House's chief emissary to Capitol Hill.
Goff succeeds Louisa Terrell in the role, a position that is especially vital for a president who spent more than three decades in Congress and takes pride in his connections to lawmakers. Goff comes into the job with deep relationships not just with Democrats but with Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., that were honed over more than a decade on Capitol Hill.
In a statement announcing the hire, Biden called Goff a “proven leader and trusted voice on both sides of the aisle" who played a key role in the biggest legislative accomplishments from the first two years of his presidency, including COVID-19 relief, a major climate, tax and health care package as well as the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Before joining the Biden administration, Goff was a senior aide to Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., eventually becoming his floor director when Hoyer served in House Democratic leadership.
“Shuwanza’s close partnership with my decades-long friends in the House and Senate, and her expertise, instincts and deep respect for the United States Congress will continue to serve our Administration and the American people well," Biden said.
Goff, 38, previously served as the White House's deputy director of legislative affairs and House liaison, making her the main point of contact to House lawmakers. She left the administration earlier this year for the private sector before rejoining the White House.
Goff enters the role with no shortage of immediate challenges. In the coming weeks, Congress will have to determine how to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, ensure passage of a sweeping defense policy package and avert a government shutdown while juggling numerous confirmation fights in the Senate. Throughout those legislative battles, Goff will be tasked with ensuring Biden’s agenda remains intact while managing relations with a confrontational House Republican conference with vastly different priorities — a challenge that those who know her say she's well-equipped to handle.
“Shuwanza is a friend and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle know that she is a policy professional with the experience and institutional knowledge of both the legislative and executive branch," McCarthy told The Associated Press. "The White House is lucky to have her back.”
In her role as Hoyer's floor director, Goff coordinated legislative activity in the House chamber which put her in constant contact with Democratic and GOP leaders, the Senate and the White House. She was the first Black woman to serve in that position.
Hoyer, who said he was “ecstatic” over Goff’s appointment, said her intelligence, credibility among both Democrats and Republicans as well as her straightforward demeanor will serve Biden well as the White House navigates the upcoming challenges.
“She's just an easy person to work with and she's smart as she can be,” Hoyer said. “She doesn't show off smart, you know what I mean? She is smart, people know she's smart but she also has empathy and patience to listen to others' point of view.”
Goff holds degrees from the University of Tennessee and American University and is a Virginia native.
