Catherine A. Finley

Catherine A. Finley joins Capitol Counsel LLC as a principal bringing over a decade of government experience, including senior-level roles in the U.S. Senate on health policy. 

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Finley served as staff director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, where she oversaw operations of the committee on behalf of Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), during his tenure as both chairmanship and as ranking member.  Ms. Finley was also responsible for leading Senator Smith’s health and human services legislative agenda related to the Senate Finance Committee; the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee; and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education. 

As staff director, Ms. Finley  worked on legislation involving Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, health-related taxes, disability and welfare programs, public health programs, the Food and Drug Administration, aging issues, vaccine programs, and regulation of health insurance.

Before working for Senator Smith, Ms. Finley served as senior health policy advisor for Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), where she led the Senator’s legislative agenda for all health and human services issues.                                                                                                                                                                 

Ms. Finley started her career as a legislative correspondent for Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH).  She later joined the office of Governor George W. Bush as a health and human services policy analyst.  She also worked as a legislative assistant on the Texas Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and as a legislative director for health and human services at the Southern Governors' Association.

Ms. Finley received her bachelor of science in business economics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.  She has minors in political science and international business.