The John W. Kluge Center’s mission is to foster connections between lawmakers and the world’s best thinkers, bridging the gap between scholarship and the policymaking community. Through conversations with scholars and public intellectuals, the Kluge Center plays a leading role at the Library of Congress in bringing innovative thinking to Members of Congress and their staffs.

Staff Dinners on International Relations

These dinner events provide an opportunity for congressional staff to interact with experts on US-China relations, US-Russia relations, and other topics related to American foreign affairs. Past events have considered the Sino-Russian partnership, sanctions on Russia, the impacts of Russian influence on US elections, and the pandemic’s effects on European democracies.

Member Dinners on International Relations

These dinner events provide an opportunity for Members of Congress to interact with experts on US-China relations, US-Russia relations, and other topics in international relations.

State of the Union Reception

The Kluge Center hosts a reception before the State of the Union address, just across the street from the Capitol in the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. Members of Congress and their guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and view selected treasures from the Library’s American history collections before attending the address.

Congressional Crossroads Dinners

The Congressional Crossroads Dinner Series focuses on building relationships and opportunities for collaboration among Members of Congress. In the first event in the series, on November 29, 2022 Amanda Ripley was interviewed by Kluge Center Director Kevin Butterfield on how conflict can be more productive and less dysfunctional. Ripley is a New York Times bestselling author, investigative journalist, and host of the Slate podcast "How To!" As co-founder of the company Good Conflict, she creates workshops and original content to help people get smarter about how they fight. Ripley’s most recent book is "High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."