Capitol Hill staff 101
Approximately 12,000 staffers work across Capitol Hill today. Those numbers only continue to increase as the demand for policy issues, special projects and new forms of communication requires new resources and talent to help support the legislative branch.
Training module: Navigating Capitol Hill staff
David Tully, AAFP vice president of government relations, presents a thorough rundown of congressional roles and how offices are structured
Congressional office roles and structures
|
Personal office staff |
Committee staff |
|
|
Line of reporting |
Hired by one member of Congress and only responsible to that person |
Hired by chairman or ranking member of committee; nominally work for all Democratic or Republican committee members |
|
Job overview |
Work on combination of policy and constituent-service matters, depending on needs of district |
Work exclusively on policy within areas of committee jurisdiction |
|
Issues |
Practice over range of issues |
Specialize in committee-related issue |
|
Background |
More likely to be from district or state of hiring member; tend to have trust of member |
Less likely to be from district or state of chairman or ranking member; tend to be expert in issue area |
|
Number |
The average representative has 14 staffers working for them, and the average senator has 30 staffers. |
House committees average 68 staffers, and Senate committees average 46. |
|
Example titles |
chief of staff, legislative director, legislative assistant |
staff director, policy analyst, committee counsel |
Despite their various titles, most congressional staffers have similar jobs. You’ll likely interact with the people listed in the first four rows of the following.
|
Titles for personal office staffers |
Function |
Titles for committee staffers |
|
chief of staff, administrative assistant |
Serve as chief advisor and administrator for member or committee |
staff director |
|
legislative director, deputy chief of staff, chief policy advisor |
Act as chief policy advisor, especially in area of committee jurisdiction |
deputy staff director, chief policy advisor, senior policy advisor |
|
counsel, legislative counsel |
Provide legal advice to member or committee |
counsel, chief counsel, general counsel |
|
legislative assistant |
Offer guidance on specific policy issue |
legislative assistant, policy advisor, professional staff member |
|
office manager, systems administrator |
Oversee management of office and facilities |
office manager, systems administrator |
|
No equivalent |
Conduct oversight of government programs within jurisdiction of committee |
investigator, chief investigator |
|
legislative correspondent |
Respond to constituent contacts on behalf of member |
No equivalent |
|
staff assistant |
Answer phones, greet visitors, perform administrative tasks |
staff assistant |
Each role has unique expertise. You’ll likely interact with legislative assistants who offer guidance on specific policy issues. Congressional committees have very similar responsibilities but may use different titles.
While the structure of a committee is different than that of a personal office, most congressional staffers exist in a relatively similar hierarchy, whether they work for a committee or a single member of Congress.
Members of Congress are advised to structure their offices to specific areas, depending on their staffers' functions. Nonetheless, almost every office will have a unique structure.
The vast congressional workload means that the day-to-day reporting structure of a congressional staffer may look different in practice than on paper.
What to do after you meet with a member of Congress
Congratulations! You enjoyed a successful meeting with your lawmaker on behalf of your profession and patients. Your work is not done, however. Here is what’s next and how you can stay involved.
Always send a thank-you email.
Thank the member and/or staffer for their time.
Add a reminder of the meeting topic for the office’s reference.
Include information from a reliable source to keep the office aware of your issue.
Attend events in the district.
Attend town hall meetings or other events in your district to increase visibility with your member of Congress and their staff.
Find opportunities to engage in policy matters in the district (including building relationships with district staff) to serve as a trustworthy resource on your issue.
Stay in touch.
Do not overcommunicate with members, but do pass along new information about your issues as it is released.
Communicate with your representative and their staff in a respectful and informative manner to gain their respect for you and your points of view.
Feel like your meeting went well? Email grassroots@aafp.org to provide AAFP staff with feedback from your meeting. We rely on your feedback to inform our legislative strategies.