How To Work with Congressional Staff
Frequently, appointment seekers will have the opportunity to meet with Congressional staff in lieu of the member due to scheduling conflicts, recess, or district work periods. Reiterate to attendees the vital role Congressional staff play for a member of Congress and outline the benefits of meeting with staff including longer visits, potential allies and supporters, and specialization in your interest area. Meeting with Congressional staff is a great opportunity to share your advocacy message. Below is an overview of the types of staff positions in Congress as well as insights into their approach to their job.
Types of Congressional Staff
Personal Staff
Committee Staff
Leadership Staff
Personal Office Staffing Structure
Members of Congress have significant authority to organize their offices in whatever way they choose. Therefore, not every office has the same number of people doing the same job or handling the same set of responsibilities. However, there is some consistency to the types of roles you will see. Typical roles and functions you may see on the Hill include:
Washington, DC Staff
Chief of Staff (CoS)/Administrative Assistant (AA)
Press Secretary/Communications Director
Executive Assistant/Scheduler
Legislative Director (LD)
Legislative Assistant (LA)
Legislative Correspondent (LC)
Systems Administrator
Staff Assistant/Receptionist
District Staff
District Director
Caseworker/Field Representative
What’s Going on in their Heads – How to Work with Congressional Staff
First and foremost, staff are hired to represent the member – not their own issues.
It doesn’t matter where they stand personally on an issue as they are not the ones voting and it is their job to advise the member in the member’s best interest. So while you may ask what a staff member personally thinks about an issue, they shouldn’t tell you.
In that vein, staff are representatives of the member.
They may not give you a guaranteed commitment on their final vote on a bill well before the vote takes place – and that’s okay.
Look to speak to the staff member responsible for that piece of legislation.
Yes, they are young.