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| Rob Lowe as | Sam (Samuel Norman) Seaborn | Deputy Communications Director |
| Dulé Hill as | Charlie (Charles) Young | Personal Aide to the President |
| Allison Janney as | C.J. (Claudia Jean) Cregg | Press Secretary |
| Janel Moloney as | Donna (Donnatella) Moss | Assistant to Deputy Chief of Staff |
| Richard Schiff as | Toby (Tobias Zachary) Ziegler | Communications Director |
| John Spencer as | Leo Thomas McGarry | Chief of Staff |
| Bradley Whitford as | Josh (Joshua) Lyman | Deputy Chief of Staff |
| and Martin Sheen as |
Jed (Josiah Edward) Bartlet | President of the United States |
| Special Guest Star Tim Matheson as |
John Hoynes | Vice President |
| Guest Starring | ||
| George Coe as | Senator Howard Stackhouse | |
| Cara DeLizia as | Winifred Hooper | |
| Co-Starring | ||
| Melissa Fitzgerald as | Carol | Fitzpatrick (last name) Assistant to the Press Secretary |
| Timothy Davis-Reed as | Mark | O'Donnell (last name) / Reporter |
| William Duffy as | Larry | Congressional Liaison |
| Peter James Smith as | Ed | Congressional Liaison |
| Randolph Brooks as | Arthur | Leeds (last name) / Reporter |
| Jana Lee Hamblin as | Reporter #2 | Bobbi |
| Robyn Pedretti as | V.P.'s Aide #1 | Candy |
| Darren Foreman as | V.P.'s Aide #2 | |
| Andy Milder as | V.P. Assistant | Mark |
| Larry Stahoviak as | Staffer #1 | previously "Steve" (wrong name) |
| Lisa Croisette as | Staffer #2 | previously "Patty" (wrong name) |
| David Katz as | Staffer #3 | |
| Jessica Pennington as | Sally | |
| Shishir Kurup as | Zach | |
| Charles Noland as | Steve | Reporter |
| Mindy Seeger as | Chris | Reporter |
| Harrison Young as | Senator Grissom | Tom (first name) |
| Ron Harper as | Chairman | |
| Dilva Henry as | News Anchor | |
| Pete Leal as | Stewart |
[Bradley] Whitford was more successful in "pestering" writer Aaron Sorkin to include his input about a real-life concern -- autism -- in tonight's episode of The West Wing (airing 9 pm/ET on NBC). As a member of Cure Autism Now, the actor joined celebs like Maya Angelou and Rene Russo to lobby in Washington for the passage of the Children's Health Act of 2000. "Autism in this country is underdiagnosed and exploding in numbers for reasons that people don't understand," he explains. "No beloved celebrities have it, so it's not a disease that gets a lot of attention, and research is underfunded. Congress was recently persuaded that this was true by the arguments that the autism advocates put forth, and we're sort of mirroring that [in [this] episode]."
"Meg Ryan's Bossy Co-Star"
by Daniel R. Coleridge
March 14, 2001
TV Guide Online
Whitford decided to lend his support to a federal bill to help fund autism programs. "I was involved as part of the celebrity lobby helping to pass the Children's Health Act of 2000, of which funding for autism was the engine on the bill," recalls Whitford. "I was green to the political process but became fascinated with how a bill becomes law."The biggest hurdle, according to Whitford, was preventing the bill from becoming a "Christmas tree."
"Everyone wants to hang an ornament on it in the form of riders and attachments," says Whitford, who plays Josh Lyman. "People were trying to attach tobacco and abortion legislation. It was important the bill be decided only on its own merits."
Through skillful lobbying efforts, the bill passed unanimously and was signed into law last October. For children's health advocates, the passage of the legislation is a major victory.
...
He became so intrigued with the bill process that he pitched his boss, West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin, an idea for an episode based on his real Washington experience.
Sorkin, however, was already working on a show about a filibuster and felt the entire autism issue would play perfectly and incorporated it into "The Stackhouse Filibuster" script.
"It's not precisely what I pitched Aaron," says Whitford. "But who's going to argue with the best writer in Hollywood?"
"TV meets reality: Brad Whitford lobbies for autism"
by John Morgan
May 24, 2001
USA Today
Through [Arlen] Specter's office, [Craig] Snyder was involved in legislation to build five "centers of excellence" for diagnosis, treatment and research of autism. The same approach used in the mid-'80s led to dramatic death-rate reductions in child leukemia.Pushing the bill was fellow Philly native John Shestack, an L.A.-based movie producer, father of an autistic child, founder of Cure Autism Now. Shestack is the son of prominent Philly lawyer Jerome Shestack, American Bar Association president 1997-98. He is also a close friend and college chum (Wesleyan in Connecticut) of "West Wing" actor Brad Whitford, who plays White House deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman.
While lobbying for the legislation, Snyder recommended getting celebrities involved. Whitford, who grew up in Wayne ("I was formed on the stuck-up Main Line"), was called in. Snyder and Whitford hit it off....
"Craig has been phenomenally integral in helping us formulate an autism story line," Whitford said in a telephone interview from "West Wing's" L.A. set. "I knew nothing of the process. . .he's on the ground, has experience."
Snyder helped write the Children's Health Act of 2000, (the show tonight calls it "The Family Wellness Act"). And, as in real life, the bill runs into trouble and is saved only when. . .well, don't want to spoil it for "West Wing" fans.
...
"In its first season, the show was popular but with a taint," Snyder said. In ... "The Stackhouse Filibuster," Republicans look more human. Said Snyder, "We give a Republican something constructive."
"A prime-time success story"
by John Baer
March 14, 2001
Philadelphia Daily News
Actress NiCole Robinson, 33, who plays administrative assistant Margaret on NBC's "The West Wing", married lobbyist Craig Snyder, 42, on July 4 in Washington D.C..
"Passages"
by Unknown
July 28, 2003
People