Chanda Betourney brings 25 years of experience in policy development, legislative strategy, and the federal budget and appropriations process to S-3. She is a prominent figure on Capitol Hill, known for her negotiation skills and a proven track record of achieving successful bipartisan outcomes in the legislative arena.
Before joining S-3, Chanda was the Deputy Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations for Chairman Patrick Leahy. She has a deep understanding of the federal budget and appropriations process. Chanda’s expertise was pivotal in negotiating and finalizing essential omnibus appropriations bills from Fiscal Year 2017 to Fiscal Year 2023. Additionally, she helped enact into law numerous emergency spending bills in response to natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. Chanda also led the design and implementation of a transparent process for funding Congressionally Directed Spending items in Senate appropriations bills beginning in Fiscal Year 2022, the first time such items were permitted since 2010.
Prior to her time on the Appropriations Committee, Chanda served as the Chief Counsel on Civil Law and Oversight for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee under the leadership of Chairman Patrick Leahy. Handling a diverse portfolio from consumer privacy to tort reform, as well as government transparency and oversight matters, she understands how to navigate complex issues in an often difficult legislative and political landscape. She successfully negotiated and enacted the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016, the first significant reform of the Freedom of Information Act in a decade.
Chanda holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center as well as a Bachelor of Arts from St. Lawrence University. She spent six years as an Associate at Sidley Austin LLP where, among other matters, she represented and advised clients on all aspects of congressional investigations. She currently resides in Washington, D.C.