Caroline Shaffer is a Managing Director of Federal Affairs at McAllister & Quinn, where she supports the firm’s Research Universities, Higher Education, and Healthcare Practices. In this role, she conducts in-depth research and analysis of federal legislation and executive branch actions, distilling complex developments into clear, actionable materials for clients. Caroline applies her years of experience in the U.S. Senate to track congressional activity—including appropriations, the federal budget process, and committee actions—and guide clients in building targeted federal advocacy strategies on Capitol Hill.
Prior to joining McAllister & Quinn, Caroline served as a congressional staff member in the U.S. Senate. Most recently, she led Senator Fetterman’s health, education, aging, and disability policy portfolio, where she authored legislation, worked with federal agencies, and oversaw the Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) process for health and education proposals, securing more than $20,600,000 over two fiscal years. She also represented the Senator in more than 1,000 constituent meetings, helping Pennsylvania organizations strategize opportunities to secure federal funding and navigate through political uncertainty. Previously, she worked in Senator Sanders’ office supporting the judiciary, civil rights, rules and elections, and immigration policy portfolio, in addition to the Senator’s work as Budget Committee chair during reconciliation.
Caroline holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in policy studies from Lafayette College, concentrating in race, politics, and economic equality. Caroline grew up in Swarthmore, PA and currently resides in Washington, DC.