Jake Kennedy serves as Senior Professional Staff Member for the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Republicans, under Chairman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). In this role, Jake oversees an environmental policy portfolio encompassing chemical safety, industrial manufacturing, and waste management, including the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and plastics.

Jake has served as an EPW staffer for seven years. Jake started as a Research Assistant in 2018 under former Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and was promoted to Legislative Assistant in 2019. In these roles, Jake handled a broad environment and oversight portfolio including air and climate, water, wildlife, and nominations.

Before his role with the committee, Jake worked as a Legislative Assistant in former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake’s office, handling environment, agriculture, trade, and telecommunications. Jake began his career on the Hill as an intern for former House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA-39) before moving to the Senate to intern in Senator Barrasso’s personal office.

Jake was born and raised in San Diego, California. He attended Bucknell University, graduating in 2017 with a B.A. in Political Science. He studied political systems abroad in London in 2016, where he worked for a Member of Parliament. Jake received an M.B.A from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in 2023, concentrating on supply chain, trade, and finance.