After honing diverse legislative and policy expertise on Capitol Hill and as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, Oscar Ramirez joined the Podesta Group, where he advises clients on issues ranging from financial services to telecommunications to health care. In Congress, Oscar works closely with House and Senate Democratic leadership as well as with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). He also works with the national Hispanic advocacy organizations and with state and local elected officials across the country.
In one of many examples of how Oscar melds his issue expertise with effective outreach, he successfully helped two biotechnology clients organize tri-caucus (CBC, CHC, CAPAC) opposition to a proposed rule that would have had an adverse impact on minorities.
Oscar joined the Podesta Group after serving as special assistant to Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, where he directed outreach to state and local governments, the business community and community-based organizations. A seasoned veteran of Capitol Hill, Oscar served as Chief of Staff to Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA), Deputy Chief of Staff to Rep. Al Green (D-TX) and Legislative Director to Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA). Oscar also has extensive national campaign experience. He worked in the top presidential battleground states of Ohio in 2004 for Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Virginia in 2008 as Barack Obama's Virginia policy director. He has also worked on the Senate rade of Dr. Richard Carmona (D-AZ) and the gubernatorial races of Governor Martin O'Malley (D-MD), Governor Mark Warner (D-VA) and Alex Sink (D-FL).
Oscar, who was named by Washington Life Magazine as one of "Washington DC's most influential movers and shakers under 40," is also active in national and state Democratic politics. He is a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the DNC's Hispanic Caucus. He is also the first Vice Chairman of the Maryland Democratic Party and was appointed by Governor O’Malley to sit on the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Oscar currently serves on the Board of Advisors to OUR TIME, an organization with more than 300,000 members that encourages young Americans to engage in the political process. On Capitol Hill, he served two terms as president of the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association.
