Shea Calhoun, legislative aide and legislative correspondent, has joined the office of Rep. Nellie Pou (D-NJ-9) as of May 1, 2026, marking the latest move in a series of House staff movements among Democratic personal offices this Congress.

Calhoun comes to the NJ-9 congressional staff after nearly two years working for Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA-5), where she served first as a staff assistant beginning in July 2024, before being elevated to a combined staff assistant and legislative correspondent role in March 2025. Before that, Calhoun interned in the Senate office of Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in early 2023. She holds a BA in political science and Spanish from Emory University, where she graduated in 2024.

Issue Areas for the Rep. Nellie Pou Office

In her new role on the Rep. Nellie Pou office staff, Calhoun covers a broad portfolio that includes agriculture and food, animals, civil rights and liberties, education, environmental protection, families, health, Native Americans, and women's issues.

Rep. Pou sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee, along with the Transportation Committee's Aviation, Highways and Transit, and Water Resources and Environment subcommittees. That committee footprint gives Calhoun's portfolio real legislative reach, particularly on environmental and infrastructure matters.

Legislation in Play

Rep. Pou has been active on the legislative front this Congress, with several bills touching directly on Calhoun's issue areas.

The SAFE TRACKS Act (H.R. 5783), introduced in October 2025, would require states to submit more frequent and detailed reports to the Federal Railroad Administration on highway-rail grade crossing safety, including plans to reduce pedestrian fatalities and suicides along railroad rights of way. The bill was ordered reported out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee by voice vote in December 2025 and has 14 cosponsors.

The Water Crisis Prevention Act (H.R. 5072) directs the Government Accountability Office to review what federal disaster assistance is available when water infrastructure fails, even absent a formal emergency declaration, and to recommend how federal agencies and states can better coordinate disaster response. The bill is currently in committee consideration before the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The CLEAN-UP Act (H.R. 7268) would allow the Army Corps of Engineers to clean up contaminated waterway sediments without incurring legal liability under federal environmental law, provided the work follows a plan jointly approved with the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill has been referred to both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee.

On the homeland security side, the DHS Basic Training Accreditation Improvement Act (H.R. 2285) would require the Department of Homeland Security to report annually to Congress on the accreditation status of its law enforcement basic training programs. That bill was ordered reported by voice vote in April 2025, making it one of the more advanced pieces of legislation Pou has sponsored this Congress.

Rep. Pou also introduced the Kenya Merritt Renewing our PACT Act (H.R. 8524) in late April 2026, which would create a workers' compensation program for civilian federal employees exposed to toxic burn pits and hazardous materials while working overseas during U.S. military operations. The bill has drawn bipartisan support, with cosponsors from both parties.

Shea Calhoun Legislative Aide: Relevant Committee Hearings

Given Pou's committee assignments, several hearings held this Congress are directly relevant to the work Calhoun will be doing.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee has been active, holding hearings on Water Resources Development Act of 2026 stakeholder priorities in December 2025 and administration priorities in February 2026. Earlier hearings examined Clean Water Act permitting and project delivery and water infrastructure financing, both of which align with the environmental protection and water-related bills Pou has introduced.

On the Homeland Security side, the committee held a hearing in September 2025 on agroterrorism and food, agriculture, and veterinary defense, which maps directly onto the agriculture, food, and animals issue areas in Calhoun's portfolio.

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