Frank M. Cushing joined Oldaker, Biden and Belair, LLP  and The National Group, LLP in January 2008, following more than three decades working in the House of Representatives, the United States Senate and the Washington, DC business community. From January 2007 to January 2008, Frank served as the Minority Staff Director of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations. Previously, from January 2005 to January 2007, he had served as the majority Clerk and Staff Director of the House Appropriations Committee, the twelfth since the Committee’s creation in 1865.

From March 2003 to January 2005, Frank was a Vice President with Cornerstone Government Affairs, LLC, an integrated consulting and public affairs concern. While with Cornerstone, he provided strategic legislative guidance to business, educational, and governmental entities, particularly on matters regarding federal appropriations.

From January 1995 until March 2003 Frank served as Clerk and Staff Director of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies.  In addition to VA and HUD, the Subcommittee’s jurisdiction, amounting to nearly $122 billion in annual appropriations, included the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 17 other independent agencies, offices, and corporations.

Prior to his House service Frank was Vice President of  Federal Affairs for The Coastal Corporation, a Houston-based “Fortune 50” energy concern with interests in natural gas production and transmission, oil production, refining and distribution, coal production and sales, transportation and international trading. Beginning with Coastal in May, 1991, he had served as a consultant and as Director of Federal Affairs before heading the company’s Washington, D.C. office.

Before moving to the private sector Frank spent nearly 15 years as a staff member of the United States Senate.  While employed in the Senate, he served as Staff Director, both majority and minority, of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (1984-1991), as Clerk and Staff Director of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee (1981-1984), and as a legislative assistant to former Senator James A. McClure (R-ID)(1976-1981).

Frank is a 1974 graduate of the University of Idaho and has done graduate level study at the University of Idaho and Boise State University.  He is married and has four children.