Porter briefed National Press Foundation fellows in November 2023: Making The Case for Newborn Screening. 

Christopher Porter has over 20 years of Government and Public Affairs experience, with deep healthcare policy know-how and advocacy successes spanning Congress, the Executive Branch, State governments, and the globe. Currently, Chris serves as Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy for Travere Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases located in San Diego whose mission is to deliver life-changing therapies to people with few, if any, treatment options. Chris is the architect of their national and state legislative and policy strategies. He has been an outspoken advocate for the Orphan Drug Act and families living with rare diseases.

Before his position at Travere Therapeutics, Porter spent 10 years at Novo Nordisk, helping build and ultimately lead the US government affairs and global public affairs teams in Washington and Copenhagen, respectively. In Copenhagen, as Vice President of Global Public Affairs, Porter’s international team served a network of over 200 people in 60 countries, driving a new comprehensive global strategy and executing high-profile public affairs events in Europe and China. As Chief Government Affairs Officer in the U.S., he directed the federal and state legislative, grassroots, and PAC teams, securing patient and commercial victories through countless battles, including the Affordable
Care Act and the BPCIA.

Porter is a legislative and political behavior expert with extensive bipartisan relationships. He served in Congress for 10 years in senior health policy roles, including as Co-Staff Director of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, Chief of Staff, and Legislative Director. Porter played key behind-the-scenes roles on major legislative initiatives at the House Energy and Commerce Committee in Medicare, Medicaid, FDA,
public health, and chronic disease. He is also well-versed in budget and Congressional appropriations. Chris received recognition from numerous patient organizations for his work, leading to $1.9 billion in Medicare benefits for people with diabetes.

During the internet boom of the early 2000s, Porter served as CEO of consulting and internet media companies YourCongress, Inc and Blutarsky Media LLC, winning a 2001 Webby Award. As a consultant, Porter also drove an initiative with Congress and the Executive Branch to create a groundbreaking national medical exemption program, ultimately saving thousands of trucking jobs.

Christopher Porter serves on the Board of Directors for the Dance Institute of Washington, the Public Affairs Council, and the Corporate Advisory Board of Children’s National Medical Center. He lives in Alexandria with his wife Rosalyn and has two adult children. He is the author of How to Get a Job in Congress (Without Winning an Election), and has been published in the Washington Post, Washington
Times, and other newspapers. Porter suffers as a die-hard Cleveland sports fan and briefly appeared on television’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?