Congress is embarking on an ambitious agenda that includes grappling with the debt limit, passing a federal budget, and debating tax reform, but whether and how members of Congress accomplish anything at all depends, in part, on another matter entirely: the congressional staff members who work for them, especially their top staff.
But during the past two Congressional terms, Republicans in the US House of Representatives have taken action to deprioritize support for members of Congress who would like to build more effective teams through prioritizing diversity and inclusion in hiring. Following the passage of the government spending bill in March 2024, Congress disbanded the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI), which engaged in bipartisan efforts to promote diverse hiring within the House offices since 2020.
Subsequently, ODI’s responsibilities and much of their staff transferred to the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), which provides administrative, technical, and operational services to House members and staff. And this month, House Republicans released their proposed package of rules to govern the chamber for the 119th Congress, which includes several notable changes to the rules that governed the chamber for the last two years, including formally dissolving the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Top congressional staffers are the mainstay of Congress, yet few pay attention to the critical role they play in the institution. Top staffers provide services to all Americans, including shaping the trillions of dollars that make up the U.S. federal budget, working with the media to shape the narratives and news stories regarding the issues Americans care about, and providing oversight for federal agencies with nearly 4 million civilian and military workers.
People in top staff positions such as chiefs of staff, legislative directors, and communication directors, advise our elected officials as they make decisions that affect all Americans, making it imperative that the effectively represent the diversity of the United States. Over one in four members of the 119th Congress are people of color, but the makeup of top staff is less diverse. According to analysis from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies , Congress filled 91.7 percent of top staff positions available as of January 1oth. Of the top staff hired by new and returning members thus far, 20.1 percent are people of color, and just 5.5 percent are African American. These low percentages are troubling as people of color account for 41.1 percent of the U.S. population and African Americans make up 13.6 percent of the U.S. population.
American policy priorities can often differ across race, which may be a result of differing experiences with the American economy. For example, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey, Black and Hispanic workers are much less likely than white workers to report that they have job security. To better address these matters and push forward meaningful legislation to tackle these critical issues, members of Congress need top staffers who understand firsthand the experiences of constituents. The perspectives and talents of racially diverse top staff would allow new and existing members of Congress to best serve their communities and help dismantle the structural inequality in laws passed by Congress.
Simply put, diversity among congressional staff members would equip national legislators to better understand and address the concerns of their constituents, especially among those hailing from marginalized communities.
While congressional efforts including the establishment of the now defunct House Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative have improved the climate on the Hill, there is more work to be done to bring systemic change to Congress.
Congressional leaders must uphold their campaign promises to work on behalf of their constituents, and that starts with hiring advisors and staff members who represent the diversity of their districts. Congressional representatives should understand and prioritize the rights and well-being of the staffers who serve our nation by adopting a staffing plan that emphasizes inclusion and allocates services and tools for their entire teams. Of course, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits basing employment decisions on race or other protected characteristics. However, expanding recruitment to remove application barriers and diversify the candidate pool can lawfully increase the likelihood that members of Congress hire highly qualified candidates that represent our nation’s diversity.