Mike Bloomquist, Majority General Counsel

Lobbying may earn more money, but Mike Bloomquist is drawn to other things Capitol Hill has to offer. And as general counsel to the Energy and Commerce Committee—which has jurisdiction over everything from health and energy policy to amusement-park safety—there’s a lot.

“With the diversity of issues, I couldn’t ask for more,” he said.

Bloomquist, 44, a native of Scarsdale, N.Y., spent years doing legal work and lobbying for major law firms such as Patton Boggs and Wiley Rein. He has also worked for the House Science Committee.

Bloomquist said he learned a lot about the budget and appropriations processes while serving as general counsel for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction—the so-called super committee—which tried unsuccessfully to reach a deal that would have avoided the across-the-board sequestration cuts that are now in effect.

In his off time, he coaches a middle-school lacrosse team that includes his oldest daughter. Bloomquist and his wife of 15 years also have two other daughters.