Ryan Shay

Capitol Hill Experience

Legislative Director – Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-03)

Most recently as the legislative director for Congresswoman Susie Lee (NV-3), Ryan led efforts to advance the congresswoman’s health policy objectives and appropriations goals, including the introduction and advocacy of the MOBILE Health Care Act (H.R. 5141), Senior SAVE Act (H.R. 3831) and Virtual Peer Support Act (H.R. 2929). In addition, Ryan served as Associate Staff on the House Appropriations Committee and directed the congresswoman’s health appropriations priorities by securing critical programmatic and report language wins. Moreover, Ryan directed the legislative strategy for a 20-person Member office and managed the relevant policy portfolios during the debates on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Build Back Better Act. As a result, legislation that Ryan helped draft and advance became law through the IIJA in 2021.

Senior Legislative Assistant – Congressman André Carson (IN-07)

As senior legislative assistant, Ryan served as Congressman Carson’s (IN-07) sole health policy advisor during the COVID-19 pandemic and advised the congressman on all aspects of this crisis. This included epidemiological analysis, public health responses, provider relief payments and guidance on legislative strategy as Congress drafted and passed unprecedented COVID-19 relief packages, including the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan.

In addition, Ryan worked in a bipartisan fashion to fight rare diseases by drafting and introducing the RARE Act (H.R. 4228) after extensive policy negotiations with the Trump administration, committees of jurisdiction and competing stakeholders. He also advocated for increased pancreatic cancer research funding by drafting, advocating and securing legislative provisions to expand pancreatic cancer research at the Department of Defense (DoD). These two provisions, specifically focused on early detection research, became law through the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

Legislative Aide – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)

A native Washingtonian, Ryan also served as a legislative aide for Senator Maria Cantwell, a senior member of the Senate Committee on Finance and helped provide policy expertise on Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drugs and other issues relating to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). During the multiple attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2017, Ryan provided policy guidance as part of the caucus-wide effort to successful safeguard the ACA’s expansions to the Medicaid program and protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions.

Ryan also served as Senator Cantwell’s point person on all federal policy responses to the opioid and heroin epidemic. Working with a bipartisan fashion and with a diverse group of stakeholders, he drafted and advocated legislation to help combat the opioid epidemic which became law into the SUPPORT Act in 2018.

Personal Interests

Ryan is a voracious reader, active birder and an accomplished LEGO builder. While working for Congressman Carson in 2019, Ryan used his LEGO to create a picture story using LEGO to explain the first two articles of impeachment. Congressman Carson shared this picture story on his social media accounts, where it went viral and received news coverage in the NY Daily News, USA Today, and IndyStar.