Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions
Released: 2012-11-09T00:00:00

Introduction

The United States Congress conducts several types of activities for which it employs staff. Congressional employees are retained to perform public duties that include assisting Members in official responsibilities in personal, committee, leadership, or administrative office settings. Organized to support Members of Congress in their various duties and functions in Washington, DC, and constituency offices around the United States, staff are involved in virtually all elements of the work of Congress.

Individuals in congressional staff positions may come from a wide range of training or professional backgrounds. These might include the law, business, medicine, political campaigns, engineering, the social sciences, or fine arts. Nevertheless, congressional staff are seen by some as a professional cohort. Congressional career tracks generally mirror common stages of other professional careers, but with adaptations to the congressional workplace. These adaptations include relatively short career ladders on which staff may acquire substantial responsibilities in a relatively short period of time, and close support of a Member's legislative and representational responsibilities.

This report focuses on positions in House and Senate personal offices, and provides sample position descriptions for 14 positions with similar job titles in each chamber. Identifying congressional staff duties and job descriptions is complicated by the highly decentralized nature of congressional employment practices. The House of Representatives is composed of as many as 500 entities that set job criteria and employ staff; in the Senate, there are about 135 such entities. Congressional staff may work in a Member, committee, or leadership office; in positions under the authority of chamber officers; or in chamber support entities with specialized duties. Additional challenges of the congressional personnel environment may include different approaches to some practices common in many professional environments. Some congressional employing entities may not use formal position descriptions; others may not implement formal personnel practices and guidelines, or clearly establish lines of authority for personnel issues in their offices. In offices where personnel practices and guidelines are developed, practices could vary from office to office.

All decisions regarding activities and operations in a Member's office are within the discretion of the Member, subject to chamber rules and relevant statute. As with all congressional entities with employing authority, individual Members of Congress have wide discretion in setting many workplace policies, including procedures for establishing the duties and functions of staff positions. Staffing decisions may be determined by the priorities and goals of a congressional office, and the preferences and needs of a Member's constituents.

Sources of Position Descriptions

In 2006, two salary and employment surveys, the 2006 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 110 th Congress (House study), and the 2006 U.S. Senate Employment, Compensation, Hiring and Benefits Study (Senate study), were conducted for the House and Senate, respectively. The studies focused on staff in the personal offices in each chamber, and provided data on salary, work experience, and position duties and functions. Data in the surveys were organized by position titles. Of 18 positions in the House study and 25 positions in the Senate study, there are 14 positions that have roughly congruent position titles and descriptions in both chambers. Those positions are summarized in Table 1 .

Summaries of those positions' functions and duties as proffered by the House and Senate studies' administrators are provided below. This material should be interpreted with care. Using data from the House and Senate studies raises concerns for several reasons related to data collection, and the potential consequences of organizing data by position title.

Data Collection Issues

Electronic versions of the chamber-appropriate survey were sent to 440 House Member offices and 100 Senate personal offices. The House study indicated that its data were based on the responses of 141 (32.0%) Member offices, while the Senate study indicated that 81 Senate personal offices replied. The House study asserts that its information "allows for stable conclusions to be drawn about the policies and practices of the current Member offices." The potential precision of that assertion is not clear, since the report provides none of the supporting evaluations or qualifications of how well its data sample might represent the whole population of House personal offices. Similarly, the Senate study provides no explanation of how representative its data are. With an 81% response rate, differences between the survey results and actual practice are likely to be smaller than differences in the House report. Nevertheless, Senate data could be affected by the challenges of surveying samples of relatively small populations and the potential diversity of employment and compensation practices in Senate offices. As with any survey based on a sample of self-selected respondents, there is a risk that the resulting data may not be representative of the population as a whole.

Finally, a survey of the type conducted for the House and Senate requires reliance on respondents. Some problems may arise due to lack of timely responses to the questions, and in having to rely on the survey respondents to be forthcoming in responses, knowledgeable about the choices from which they select, and in possession of complete information about their offices' practices. Questions concerning who in each Member office responded to the survey, and how potential differences among individual respondents might affect the final data, are not addressed in either report. Neither report provided any information regarding the characteristics of survey respondents.

Organizing Data by Position Titles

Categorizing congressional staff positions by position title relies on an assumption that similarly titled positions in House and Senate personal offices carry out the same tasks under essentially similar circumstances. While personal offices may carry out similar activities, the assumption might be questionable given the differences in staff resources in House and Senate offices, as well as potential differences within offices of each chamber.

For example, a House office that supports an At Large Representative (a Representative from a state with one seat in the House) attends to the same constituency as that of a Senate office from the same state, but the Senator would have at his or her disposal a budget that could potentially support up to twice as many staff as would the Representative. At the other end of the spectrum, there may be differences in the nature of operations in the offices of Senators from states with large populations, with staffs as much as five times larger than those of their House colleagues who represent districts of considerably smaller populations within those states. Since an element of staff position responsibilities might be based on organizational size and complexity, the differences between House and Senate Member offices could result in differences in job duties between incumbents in similarly named positions. Within the Senate, there might be differences in the nature of position duties in the offices of Senators from states with larger or smaller populations. Within either chamber, there may be differences in staffing approaches due to varied approaches to the work of a congressional office, or because Members have a wide range of priorities that particular staff positions serve. Acknowledging the imprecision inherent in congressional job titles, an older edition of the Senate Handbook states, "Throughout the Senate, individuals with the same job title perform vastly different duties."

Other concerns regarding the organization of data according to job title are related to the unique congressional employment environment, as well as the aggregation of position data in the surveys. These factors might have an effect on the validity and reliability of any of the congressional duties and functions presented for any position in either chamber's studies. The analytic reliability of information contained in the surveys may be questionable, due in part to the following:

differences between the surveys' position descriptions and what incumbents in those positions actually do. Of concern in both surveys is the question of how well position descriptions proffered by the survey administrators matched day-to-day activities performed by incumbents in those positions. Table 2 summarizes responses to questions that attempted to distinguish differences between the proffered position descriptions and the activities respondents actually carry out. imprecision and lack of consistency of job titles in Congress. The House and Senate surveys identified several alternate titles for each of the 14 positions. The lists were created by asking respondent offices for alternate titles. In the Senate, respondents identified 118 alternative titles to the 14 titles offered by the survey administrators and appearing in both surveys. In the House, similar questions identified 69 unique titles applicable to the sample job descriptions provided by the survey administrator. similarity of tasks carried out by staff with similar or dissimilar titles. It may be the case that congressional staff in some positions with vastly different job titles perform similar duties. In several instances, alternate titles match one or more of the 14 titles evaluated here, as well as several of the positions that were identified in only one chamber. Cross listed job titles are presented with each position's duties and functions. breadth of roles carried out by incumbents in addition to their primary position title. In the House study, respondents were asked to identify any roles they carried out in addition to their primary duties. Respondents identified 131 roles, identified in the House survey by job title.

Duties and Functions of Selected Staff Positions in Congressional Personal Offices22

Chief of Staff

An incumbent in this position typically acts as the Member's chief policy advisor, and may also undertake political advising. An incumbent may also

develop and implement all policy objectives, strategies, and operating plans for a Member's office; manage and direct all activities and staff of the Member's Washington, DC, and field offices; coordinate the activities of the Member with the leadership of the appropriate chamber and committees; and oversee the Member's office budget.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Legislative Director , and Administrative Assistant. Senate: Counsel, District Scheduler, District Director, Executive Assistant, Field Representative, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Legislative Director, Office Manager, Press Secretary/Communications Director, Scheduler (Washington, DC), Systems Administrator, Legislative Aide, Senior Legislative Aide.

Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker23

An incumbent in this position typically acts as a liaison with federal, state, and/or local agencies on behalf of constituents. In the course of employment, an incumbent may

respond to casework inquiries from constituents, act as the grassroots representative for the Member within assigned areas of responsibility, and monitor and update the Member and district director on district and local issues.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Casework Manager, Constituent Advocate, District Aide, District Representative. Senate: District Scheduler, Field Representative, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Legislative Correspondent, Office Manager, Systems Administrator, Senior Legislative Aide, Staff Assistant (District), Staff Assistant (Washington, DC).

Counsel

An incumbent in this position is typically an attorney who advises the Member on legal issues and ensures compliance with the law and chamber rules, including ethics guidelines.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Legislative Counsel, Legislative Counsel & Director. Senate: Legislative Director, Legislative Aide, Senior Legislative Aide.

District or State Director

A district director typically oversees all district office operations for a Member of the House; represents the Member, or assigns appropriate staff to do so, in the district; and travels within the district to keep abreast of local concerns.

A state director typically manages the principal state office and/or other state offices of a Senator, and oversees all state office operations.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Community Services Director, Deputy District Director, District Chief of Staff, District Representative, District Supervisor. Senate: Chief of Staff, Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker, Counsel, District Scheduler, Field Representative, Grants and Projects Coordinator .

District or State Scheduler

A district scheduler typically maintains a House Member's district schedule, travel plans, and related records; briefs the Member on all scheduling activities of the district office; and makes recommendations on proposed scheduled activities.

A state scheduler typically manages a Senator's schedule in the state.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Office Manager, District Office Coordinator, District Representative/Scheduler. Senate: Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker, Executive Assistant, Field Representative, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Office Manager, Systems Administrator .

Executive Assistant

An incumbent in this position typically acts as liaison for the Member with the Member's personal office staff, committee staff, other Members and their staffs, and the public. An incumbent may also serve as the Member's confidential assistant with respect to all matters affecting the Member's performance of his or her official responsibilities. Position duties may also include

maintaining the Member's files, including notes, correspondence, and all information related to travel; logging and monitoring the Member's incoming telephone calls, taking messages, and placing outgoing calls for the Member; and ensuring that the Member is provided with briefing materials for various activities in which the Member participates.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Scheduler , Administrative Assistant, Administrative Secretary, Congressional Aide, Executive/Legislative Assistant. Senate: Executive Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Office Manager, Scheduler (Washington, DC), Systems Administrator, District Scheduler, Legislative Aide, Staff Assistant (Washington, DC).

Field Representative

An incumbent in this position typically acts as a liaison with federal, state, and local agencies for the Member and the Member's constituents. A field representative may also assess casework for matters that might require legislative action and make recommendations to the district or state director, or chief of staff.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Community Representative, Congressional Liaison, Constituent Liaison, Director of Public Liaison, District Liaison, District Assistant, District Coordinator, District Representative, Military Liaison, Policy Advisor, Senior Staff Assistant, Senior Community Representative, Senior Field Representative for Labor Relations, Special Assistant. Senate: Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker, District Scheduler, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Legislative Director, Press Secretary/Communications Director, Legislative Aide, Staff Assistant (District).

Grants and Projects Coordinator (House), Director of Special Projects and/or Grants (Senate)

An incumbent in one of these positions typically has primary responsibilities for special projects or grant procurement.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Community Development Coordinator, Congressional Liaison and Grants Coordinator, Director of Economic Development, Director of Special Projects, District Projects Manager, Field Representative—Grants, Grants Coordinator and Suburban Director, Outreach Director, Projects Director, Senior Field Representative for Special Projects. Senate: Legislative Assistant, Appropriations Director, Community Outreach Representative, Constituent Service Coordinator, Director of State Communications and Special Projects, Director of Research and Legislative Correspondence, Field Representative for Grants, Grants Administrator and Deputy Scheduler, Grants Coordinator, Project Manager, Projects Director, Projects Coordinator, Resource Specialist, Special Assistant, Special Project Coordinator, Special Projects Manager, Staff Assistant, State Projects Director.

Legislative Correspondent

A legislative correspondent typically provides research for and responds to constituents' correspondence. These duties might include drafting, proofreading, and printing letters, and providing administrative support to legislative aides or legislative assistants as needed.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Legislative Aide and Legislative Correspondent, Legislative Correspondent/Legislative Assistant. Senate: Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker, Counsel, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Office Manager, Scheduler (Washington, DC), Legislative Aide, Staff Assistant (Washington, DC).

Legislative Director

An incumbent in this position typically manages office legislative activities, and may supervise a Member's legislative staff. A legislative director might assist in the development of policy positions and legislative initiatives, or monitor and report to the chief of staff or Member on floor activity.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Administrative Assistant, Deputy Chief of Staff, Legislative Counsel, Policy Director. Senate: Chief of Staff, Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker Counsel, Legislative Correspondent, Office Manager, Systems Administrator, Legislative Aide, Senior Legislative Aide.

Office Manager (House), Administrative Director/Office Manager (Senate)

An incumbent in one of these positions typically supervises Washington, DC, office staff, including monitoring personnel matters and ensuring that office policies and procedures are followed. Duties may include

directing the administrative support staff of the office; maintenance of office accounts in accordance with law, chamber rules, and the regulations of the appropriate chamber administrative committee; and procuring and maintaining equipment for Washington, DC, and field offices.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Assistant Office Manager (District), Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Operations, Finance Administrator, Financial Manager, Office Manager/Executive Assistant/Scheduler, Office Manager/Scheduler, Projects Director/Office Manager. Senate: Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker, District Scheduler, Executive Assistant, Field Representative, Grants and Projects Coordinator, Scheduler (Washington, DC), Systems Administrator, Legislative Aide, Staff Assistant (Washington, DC).

Press Secretary/Communications Director

Incumbents in either position typically manage and coordinate all communication activities, including media contacts, for the Member and the office. Other duties may include

developing and implementing media and communications strategies for the Member, acting as the formal spokesperson and media liaison for the Member, and writing speeches for the Member.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Administrative Assistant/Press Secretary, Assistant Press Secretary (District), Deputy Chief of Staff, Press Assistant, Press Secretary. Senate: Counsel, District Director, District Scheduler, Executive Assistant, Field Representative, Office Manager, Scheduler (Washington, DC), Systems Administrator, Legislative Aide, Senior Legislative Aide.

Scheduler (Washington, DC)

A Washington, DC-based House scheduler typically maintains a Member's official schedule, travel plans, and related records. In addition an incumbent may also

brief the Member on all scheduling activities of the Washington, DC, office; make recommendations on proposed meetings; schedule staff meetings and briefings; and coordinate the scheduling of Member press and media interactions with the press secretary or communications director.

A Washington, DC-based Senate scheduler typically maintains a Senator's daily, weekly, and monthly schedules.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant/Scheduler. Senate: District Scheduler, Executive Assistant, Legislative Correspondent, Office Manager, Systems Administrator, Legislative Aide, Staff Assistant (Washington, DC).

Systems Administrator

An incumbent in this position typically updates and maintains all office computers and the office computer network. Other duties of the position may include

development and maintenance of an information management strategy for the office; coordination of the filing and indexing of all correspondence and mass mailings; consulting with users to determine hardware, software, and/or system specifications; and serving as the liaison between the office and chamber technical support entities.

Alternate Job Titles

House: Director of Technology and Community Outreach, System Administrator/Legislative Correspondent, Technology Director. Senate: Office Manager, Legislative Correspondent, Legislative Aide.