Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of
Selected Positions

R. Eric Petersen
Specialist in American National Government
November 4, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL34545
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions

Summary
The United States Congress conducts several types of activities for which it employs staff. These
activities include assisting Members in official responsibilities in personal, committee, leadership,
or administrative office settings. 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 (Member staff), and
provides sample position descriptions for 14 positions with similar job titles in each chamber. 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.
This report, which will be updated as warranted, is one of several CRS products focusing on
various aspects of congressional operations and administration. Others include CRS Report
RL33220, Support Offices in the House of Representatives: Roles and Authorities, by Ida A.
Brudnick; and CRS Report RL34188, Congressional Official Mail Costs, by Matthew Eric
Glassman; CRS Report R41366, House of Representatives and Senate Staff Levels in Member,
Committee, Leadership, and Other Offices, 1977-2010
, by R. Eric Petersen and Amber Hope
Wilhelm.

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Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Sources of Position Descriptions ........................................................................................... 3
Data Collection Issues........................................................................................................... 4
Organizing Data by Position Titles ........................................................................................ 4
Duties and Functions of Selected Staff Positions in Congressional Personal Offices .................... 8
Chief of Staff ........................................................................................................................ 8
Alternate Job Titles ......................................................................................................... 8
Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker................................................................... 8
Alternate Job Titles ......................................................................................................... 9
Counsel................................................................................................................................. 9
Alternate Job Titles ......................................................................................................... 9
District or State Director ....................................................................................................... 9
Alternate Job Titles ......................................................................................................... 9
District or State Scheduler ..................................................................................................... 9
Alternate Job Titles ......................................................................................................... 9
Executive Assistant ............................................................................................................. 10
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 10
Field Representative............................................................................................................ 10
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 10
Grants and Projects Coordinator (House), Director of Special Projects and/or Grants
(Senate) ........................................................................................................................... 10
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 11
Legislative Correspondent................................................................................................... 11
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 11
Legislative Director ............................................................................................................ 11
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 11
Office Manager (House), Administrative Director/Office Manager (Senate) ........................ 11
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 12
Press Secretary/Communications Director ........................................................................... 12
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 12
Scheduler (Washington, DC) ............................................................................................... 12
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 13
Systems Administrator ........................................................................................................ 13
Alternate Job Titles ....................................................................................................... 13

Tables
Table 1. Selected Comparable House and Senate Positions .......................................................... 3
Table 2. Accuracy of Position Descriptions Proffered in House and Senate Studies, by
Position.................................................................................................................................... 6

Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 13

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Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions

Introduction
The United States Congress conducts several types of activities for which it employs staff.1
Congressional employees are retained to perform public duties that include assisting Members in
official responsibilities in personal, committee, leadership, or administrative office settings.2
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.3
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.4
This report focuses on positions in House and Senate personal offices,5 and provides sample
position descriptions for 14 positions with similar job titles in each chamber.6 Identifying

1 Examples of Congress-specific activities are those related to legislative, representational, or political duties of a
Member of Congress, or collective responsibilities to debate or enact national legislation, or to oversee the
implementation of laws. Some of these duties are carried out in several staff positions, including legislative directors,
caseworkers, committee professional staff, parliamentarians, or reading clerks.
2 Congressional staff may not perform nonofficial or personal duties. Campaign duties on behalf of a congressional
employer may not be carried out by House staff. With the exception of three designated staff members per Member
office who may carry out limited campaign duties on behalf of their employers, most Senate staff are prohibited from
campaign duties in the course of their Senate employment. When they are not in official duty status, congressional staff
may participate in political campaigns. See, generally, U.S. Senate, Select Committee on Ethics, Senate Ethics Manual,
108th Congress, 1st sess., S. Pub. 108-1 (Washington: GPO, 2003), pp. 139-147 and 193-196, available at
http://ethics.senate.gov/downloads/pdffiles/manual.pdf; and U.S. House, Committee on Standards of Official Conduct,
House Ethics Manual, 110th Cong., 2nd sess., (Washington: GPO, 2008), pp. 121-142, and 267-298.
3 See, e.g., David E. Price, The Congressional Experience, 3rd ed. (Cambridge, MA: Westview Press, 2004), pp. 66-69;
and Michael J. Malbin, Unelected Representatives: Congressional Staff and the Future of Representative Government
(New York: Basic Books, Inc., 1980), pp. 3-7.
4 Barbara S. Romzek and Jennifer A. Utter, “Congressional Legislative Staff: Political Professionals or Clerks?”
American Journal of Political Science, vol. 41, no. 4, Oct. 1997, pp. 1251-1279; and Barbara S. Romzek and Jennifer
A. Utter, “Career Dynamics of Congressional Legislative Staff: Preliminary Profile and Research Questions,” Journal
of Public Administration Research and Theory: J-PART
, vol. 6, no. 3, July 1996, pp. 415-442.
5 This report excludes consideration of congressional staff positions under the direction of House or Senate leadership
offices, committees, officers, and support entities.
6 No congressional entity proffers authoritative staff position descriptions. There are resources available to
congressional offices seeking staff, but those resources generally do not offer detailed assistance in determining
position titles or duties. In the Senate, the Senate Placement Office provides informational interviews to prospective
applicants, and provides a weekly bulletin of available positions for offices wishing to advertise vacancies. The office
will deliver resumes and applications of potential job candidates to Senate offices upon request. See U.S. Senate,
Committee on Rules and Administration, United States Senate Handbook (Washington: 2006), pp. I-1—I-2, hereafter
Senate Handbook, available to Senate offices at http://webster.senate.gov/rules/handbook. In the House, the Committee
on House Administration provides a model employee handbook template, available on the committee’s website at
http://cha.house.gov/model_employee.aspx. The template is silent on procedures to determine the actual job duties and
responsibilities of an employee. The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), a private organization interested
(continued...)
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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;7 in the Senate, there are about 135 such
entities.8 Congressional staff may work in a Member, committee, or leadership office; in positions
under the authority of chamber officers;9 or in chamber support entities with specialized duties.10
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 rules11 and relevant statute.12 As with all congressional entities

(...continued)
in congressional management issues, provides a series of core functions that it argues must be carried out in a
congressional office. CMF also ascribes cursory job descriptions to some specific job titles, but does not argue that
specific tasks must reside in specific positions. See Congressional Management Foundation, Setting Course: A
Congressional Management Guide
, 11th ed. (Washington: Congressional Management Foundation, 2008), pp. 68-82.
7 Entities that may hire House staff on their own initiative include Member, leadership, and committee offices; party
conferences; the Clerk of the House; the Sergeant at Arms; the Chief Administrative Officer; the Chaplain; the
Parliamentarian; the House Legal Counsel and other legal offices; the Inspector General; and the House child care
center.
8 Entities that may hire Senate staff on their own initiative include Member, leadership, and committee offices; party
conferences and secretaries; the Secretary of the Senate; the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate; the
Chaplain; Senate Legal Counsel; the Senate child care center; and the Senate library.
9 House officers include the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Chaplain. Senate
officers include the Secretary, and the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper.
10 House support entities include Office of the General Counsel; Office of Legislative Counsel; Office of the Law
Revision Counsel; Office of Interparliamentary Affairs; Office of Inspector General; Office of the House Historian, and
the Office of the Parliamentarian. Senate support entities include Senate Legal Counsel, Legislative Counsel, and the
Senate Library.
11 In the House, an employing authority may not retain staff who do not perform official duties commensurate with the
compensation they receive (House Rule XXIII, cl. 8). A House employing authority may not discriminate against an
individual with respect to compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, due to their race, color,
religion, sex (including marital or parental status), disability, age, or national origin. The rule allows House employing
authorities to consider residency or political affiliation in employment decisions (House Rule XXIII, cl. 9). In the
Senate, an employing authority may not discriminate against an individual with respect to compensation, terms,
conditions, or privileges of employment, on the basis of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or state of
physical handicap (Senate Rule XLII).
12 Employing authorities in the House and Senate are subject to two statutory provisions: an anti-nepotism statute, 5
U.S.C. 3110, and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 (CAA), as amended, P.L. 104-1, 2 U.S.C. 1301. 5
U.S.C. 3110 generally prohibits congressional employing authorities from hiring, or recommending for employment, a
family member. The CAA generally prohibits discrimination in congressional employment decisions based on an
applicant’s or employee’s age; disability; race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or past or present duty in the
uniformed services. Additionally, the act requires that congressional employees must get paid at least the current
minimum wage, and that certain employees are entitled to overtime pay. Congressional employees are entitled to up to
12 weeks of leave from work for certain family and medical reasons. With some exceptions, congressional employees
cannot be required to take a polygraph test. Workplaces in the legislative branch must be free of hazards that are likely
to cause death or serious injury. Some congressional employees, but not staff in Member, committee or leadership
offices, are also entitled to notification of office closings or mass layoffs, or to form labor organizations to bargain with
congressional employers. The CAA established an Office of Compliance to oversee implementation of the act. For
more information, see the Office of Compliance website at http://www.compliance.gov/. Finally, some House officers
may employ staff who are subject to the House Employees Position Classification Act, 2 U.S.C. 291, and regulations
(continued...)
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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
110th 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.13 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.
Table 1. Selected Comparable House and Senate Positions14
Positions
Chief of Staff
Grants and Projects Coordinator (House)
Director of Special Projects and/or Grants (Senate)
Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker
Legislative Correspondent
Counsel Legislative
Director
District or State Director
Office Managera
District or State Scheduler
Press Secretary/Communications Directorb
Executive Assistant
Scheduler (Washington, DC)
Field Representative
Systems Administrator
Source: 2006 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 110th Congress; and 2006 U.S. Senate Employment,
Compensation, Hiring and Benefits Study.
a. In the House study, this position is reported as “Office Manager.” In the Senate study, this position is
reported as “Administrative Director/Office Manager.” Position descriptions proffered in the House and
Senate studies for the positions appear comparable.
b. In the House study, data for the positions of press secretary and communications director are combined
and jointly reported. In the Senate study, data for the positions are reported separately. Position
descriptions proffered in the House and Senate studies for the positions appear comparable.
Summaries of those positions’ functions and duties as proffered by the House and Senate studies’
administrators15 are provided below. This material should be interpreted with care. Using data

(...continued)
on applicable employment standards issued by the Committee on House Administration.
13 ICF International, 2006 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 110th Congress, prepared for the Chief
Administrative Office (sic), House of Representatives (Washington: 2006); and U.S. Senate, Secretary of the Senate,
2006 U.S. Senate Employment, Compensation, Hiring and Benefits Study (Washington: 2006).
14 Neither study provided data for positions commonly found in House and Senate offices, including staff assistant, and
legislative assistant. Both of those titles, however, appear as alternate job titles for one or more of the positions
identified in both chambers and presented in this report.
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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 Member16 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.”17 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 title18 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.

(...continued)
15 House positions included in the House study and excluded from this analysis due to difficulties in identifying a
comparable Senate position include Legislative Aide; Senior Legislative Aide; Staff Assistant (District); and Staff
Assistant (Washington, DC). Senate positions included in the Senate study and excluded here include Assistant
Administrative Director/Assistant Office Manager; Assistant to the Chief of Staff; Constituent Services Representative
Supervisor/Casework Supervisor; Data Entry Clerk/Mailroom Staff Assistant; Deputy Chief of Staff/Deputy
Communications Director/Deputy Press Secretary; Mailroom Supervisor; Receptionist/Staff Assistant; and State Office
Manager.
16 In 2006, Membership of the House included 435 Representatives, 4 Delegates, and the Resident Commissioner
17 ICF International, 2006 House Compensation Study, p. I.
18 A Senator may establish position titles in his or her office by written notification to the disbursing office of the
Senate, 2 U.S.C. 61-1(d)(1)(C)(2). No similar explicit authority for a Member of the House was identified.
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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.19 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.”20
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.

19 Each Member of the House may employ no more than 18 permanent employees. As many as four additional part-
time employees may be designated by the Member in any of the following categories: (1) part-time employees; (2)
employees drawing compensation from more than one employing authority of the House; (3) interns receiving pay; (4)
employees on leave without pay; and (5) temporary employees. See U.S. Congress, House, Statement of Disbursements
of the House
, as compiled by the Chief Administrative Officer, from April 1, 2007, to June 30, 2007, part 3 of 3,
H.Doc. 110-52, 110th Cong., 1st sess. (Washington: GPO, 2007), p. 3421. Senators are not bound by limits on the
number of staff they may hire. Overall staff compensation levels may not exceed the amounts provided for the
Senators’ Official Personnel and Office Expense Account. See U.S. Senate, Senate Handbook, p. IV-9, available to
Senate offices at http://webster.senate.gov/rules/handbook.
20 U.S. Senate, Committee on Rules and Administration, Senate Handbook (Washington: 1996), p. I-13, available from
the author.
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• 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.21 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.
Table 2. Accuracy of Position Descriptions Proffered in House
and Senate Studies, by Position
Position House Senate
Chief of Staff
Very Well 73.0%
Very Wel 85.2%
Somewhat Closely 27.0%
Somewhat Closely 14.8%
Constituent Services
Very Wel 71.6%
Very Wel 72.8%
Representative/Caseworker
Somewhat Closely 27.9%
Somewhat Closely 17.3%
Not At Al 0.5%
Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 4.9%
Counsel
Very Wel 37.5%
Very Well 23.6%a
Somewhat Closely 50.0%
Somewhat Closely 27.8%
Not At Al 12.5%
Does Not Describe 6.9%
No Position 41.7%
District/State Director
Very Wel 73.0%
Very Wel 67.9%
Somewhat Closely 27.0%
Somewhat Closely 22.2%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 4.94%
District or State Scheduler
Very Wel 58.8%
Very Wel 35.8%
Somewhat Closely 38.2%
Somewhat Closely 22.2%
Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 38.3%
Executive Assistant
Very Wel 38.7%
Very Wel 43.2%
Somewhat Closely 54.8%
Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Not At Al 6.5%
Does Not Describe 6.2%
No Position 29.6%
Field Representative
Very Wel 57.3%
Very Wel 67.9%
Somewhat Closely 39.8%
Somewhat Closely 23.5%
Not At Al 1.9%
Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 4.9%
Grants and Projects Coordinator
Very Wel 31.6%
Very Well 24.1%b
(House) Director of Special
Somewhat Closely 57.9%
Somewhat Closely 38.0%
Projects and/or Grants (Senate)
Does Not Describe 10.5%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 35.4%

21 This finding excludes partial job titles that do not match one of the 14 titles, as well as compound titles, such as
legislative counsel, legislative aide and counsel, etc. If a systematic approach to including partial matches to the 14
titles were pursued, the number of alternate titles for each position could rise substantially.
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Position House Senate
Legislative Correspondent
Very Wel 75.0%
Very Wel 80.2%
Somewhat Closely 23.6%
Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Not At Al 1.4%
Legislative Director
Very Well 78.8%
Very Wel 83.4%
Somewhat Closely 21.2%
Somewhat Closely 11.1%
No Position 3.7%
Office Manager/
Very Wel 34.1%
Very Well 57.8%c
Administrative Director
Somewhat Closely 61.0%
Somewhat Closely 36.6%
Not At Al 4.9%
Does Not Describe 4.2%
No Position 1.23%
Press Secretary/Communications
Very Wel 80.0%
Very Wel 56.8%
Directord
Somewhat Closely 20.0%
Somewhat Closely 27.2%
Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 9.9%
Communications Director

Very Wel 63.0%
(Senate only)
Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 13.6%
Scheduler
Very Wel 58.7%
Very Wel 69.1%
(Washington, DC)
Somewhat Closely 39.1%
Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Not At Al 2.2%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 7.4%
Systems Administrator
Very Wel 42.9%
Very Wel 72.8%
Somewhat Closely 57.1%
Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 3.7%
Sources: ICF International, 2006 House Compensation Study: Guide for the 110th Congress, prepared for the Chief
Administrative Office (sic), House of Representatives (Washington: 2006); and U.S. Senate, Secretary of the
Senate, 2006 U.S. Senate Employment, Compensation, Hiring and Benefits Study (Washington: 2006).
Notes: The House report indicated that its data were based on the responses of 141 (32.0%) Member offices,
while the Senate report indicated that 81 Senate personal offices replied. Not all respondents answered all
questions in either survey. The House column reports responses to the question, by percentage, “How well
does the job title and summary of duties listed above describe the primary responsibilities of the employee in
this position?” The Senate column reports responses to the question, by percentage, “Does the summary of
primary duties listed above accurately describe the responsibilities of the incumbent in your office?” in one of the
following categories: Describes responsibilities very well (Very Well); Describes responsibilities somewhat
closely (Somewhat Closely) Does not describe the responsibilities (Does Not Describe); and We do not have
this position in our office (No Position). Categories for which no response was reported are excluded from the
table. Percentages may not equal 100 due to rounding.
a. Nine Senate offices did not respond to the question. Percentages are based on 72 responses.
b. Two Senate offices did not respond to the question. Percentages are based on 79 responses.
c. Ten Senate offices did not respond to the question. Percentages are based on 71 responses.
d. In the House study, data for the positions of press secretary and communications director are combined
and jointly reported. In the Senate study, data for the positions are reported separately.
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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.

22 Congressional position description and salary data are based on information provided in ICF International, 2006
House Compensation Study: Guide for the 110th Congress
, prepared for the Chief Administrative Office (sic), House of
Representatives (Washington: 2006); and U.S. Senate, Secretary of the Senate, 2006 U.S. Senate Employment,
Compensation, Hiring and Benefits Study
(Washington: 2006). The House report indicated that its data were based on
the responses of 141 (32.0%) Member offices, while the Senate report indicated that 81 Senate personal offices replied.
This information should be interpreted with care due to the inherently imprecise comparability of congressional
positions of the same title. Italicized alternate job titles are one of the other positions listed in this report that have
roughly congruent position titles and descriptions in both chambers.
23 Further information on the duties of a caseworker is available in CRS Report RL33209, Casework in a
Congressional Office: Background, Rules, Laws, and Resources
, by R. Eric Petersen.
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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
.
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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.
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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
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• 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;24 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 position25 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

24 The Committee on House Administration, or the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
25 In the House study, data for the positions of press secretary and communications director are combined and jointly
reported. In the Senate study, data for the positions are reported separately.
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• 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.

Author Contact Information

R. Eric Petersen

Specialist in American National Government
epetersen@crs.loc.gov, 7-0643


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