Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions

Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of
Selected Positions
June 25, 2008
R. Eric Petersen
Analyst in American National Government
Government and Finance Division



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; CRS Report RL34188, Congressional
Official Mail Costs, by Matthew Eric Glassman; CRS Report RL34495, Continuation
of Employment Benefits for Senate Restaurant Employees, by Jacob R. Straus; and
CRS Report RL33686, Roles and Duties of a Member of Congress, by R. Eric
Petersen.



Contents
In troduction ..................................................1
Sources of Position Descriptions..............................4
Data Collection Issues......................................5
Organizing Data by Position Titles............................5
Duties and Functions of Selected Staff Positions in
Congressional Personal Offices..................................10
Chief of Staff................................................10
Alternate Job Titles.......................................10
Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker....................10
Alternate Job Titles.......................................11
Counsel ....................................................11
Alternate Job Titles.......................................11
District or State Director.......................................11
Alternate Job Titles.......................................11
District or State Scheduler......................................11
Alternate Job Titles.......................................11
Executive Assistant...........................................11
Alternate Job Titles.......................................12
Field Representative...........................................12
Alternate Job Titles.......................................12
Grants and Projects Coordinator (House), Director of
Special Projects and/or Grants (Senate)........................12
Alternate Job Titles.......................................12
Legislative Correspondent......................................13
Alternate Job Titles.......................................13
Legislative Director...........................................13
Alternate Job Titles.......................................13
Office Manager (House), Administrative Director/
Office Manager (Senate)...................................13
Alternate Job Titles.......................................13
Press Secretary/Communications Director.........................14
Alternate Job Titles.......................................14
Scheduler (Washington, DC)....................................14
Alternate Job Titles.......................................14
Systems Administrator.........................................15
Alternate Job Titles.......................................15
List of Tables
Table 1. Accuracy of Position Descriptions Proffered
in House and Senate Studies, by Position...........................8



Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions
of Selected Positions
Introduction
The United States Congress conducts several types of activities for which it1
employs staff. Congressional employees are retained to perform public duties that
include assisting Members in official responsibilities in personal, committee,2
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.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


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.thst
Senate, Select Committee on Ethics, Senate Ethics Manual, 108 Congress, 1 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 onthnd
Standards of Official Conduct, House Ethics Manual, 110 Cong., 2 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.

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 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


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/index.php?option=
com_content&task=view&id=51&Itemid=37]. 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 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 Managementth
Guide, 10 ed. (Washington: Congressional Management Foundation, 2006), pp. 68-80.
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 of the House; 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 of the Senate; 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
(continued...)

duties.10 Additional challenges of the congressional personnel environment may
include the absence of some practices common in many professional environments,
including the widespread use of position descriptions, or the absence of formal
personnel practices and guidelines or clearly established lines of authority for
personnel issues in some congressional 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 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.


9 (...continued)
Doorkeeper.
10 House support entities include Office of the General Counsel; Office of Legislative
Counsel; Office of Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Operations; Office of Inspector
General; and 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 on applicable employment standards issued by the
Committee on House Administration.

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 included the
following:
!Chief of Staff
!Constituent Services Representative/Caseworker
! Counsel
!District or State Director
!District or State Scheduler
!Executive Assistant
!Field Representative
!Grants and Projects Coordinator (House), Director of Special
Projects and/or Grants (Senate)
!Legislative Correspondent
!Legislative Director14
!Office Manager
!Press Secretary/Communications Director15
!Scheduler (Washington, DC)
!Systems Administrator16
Summaries of those positions’ functions and duties as proffered by the House17
and Senate studies’ administrators are provided below. This material should be


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 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.
15 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.
16 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.
17 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
(continued...)

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.”18 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. 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 title19 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.


17 (...continued)
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.
18 ICF International, 2006 House Compensation Study, p. I.
19 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.

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.20 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 varying 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.”21
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 1 summarizes
responses to questions that attempted to distinguish differences
between the proffered position descriptions and the activities
respondents actually carry out.


20 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 Aprilthst

1, 2007, to June 30, 2007, part 3 of 3, H.Doc. 110-52, 110 Cong., 1 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].


21 U.S. Senate, Committee on Rules and Administration, Senate Handbook (Washington:

1996), p. I-13, available from the author.



!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.22 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.


22 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.

Table 1. Accuracy of Position Descriptions Proffered in House
and Senate Studies, by Position
P osition House Senate
Chief of StaffVery Well 73.0%Very Well 85.2%
Somewhat Closely 27.0%Somewhat Closely 14.8%
Constituent ServicesVery Well 71.6%Very Well 72.8%
Representative/CaseworkerSomewhat Closely 27.9%Somewhat Closely 17.3%
Not At All 0.5%Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 4.9%
CounselVery Well 37.5%Very Well 23.6%a
Somewhat Closely 50.0%Somewhat Closely 27.8%
Not At All 12.5%Does Not Describe 6.9%
No Position 41.7%
District/State DirectorVery Well 73.0%Very Well 67.9%
Somewhat Closely 27.0%Somewhat Closely 22.2%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 4.94%
District or State SchedulerVery Well 58.8%Very Well 35.8%
Somewhat Closely 38.2%Somewhat Closely 22.2%
Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 38.3%
Executive AssistantVery Well 38.7%Very Well 43.2%
Somewhat Closely 54.8%Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Not At All 6.5%Does Not Describe 6.2%
No Position 29.6%
Field RepresentativeVery Well 57.3%Very Well 67.9%
Somewhat Closely 39.8%Somewhat Closely 23.5%
Not At All 1.9%Does Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 4.9%
Grants and ProjectsVery Well 31.6%Very Well 24.1%b
Coordinator (House)Somewhat Closely 57.9%Somewhat Closely 38.0%
Director of Special ProjectsDoes Not Describe 10.5%Does Not Describe 2.5%
and/or Grants (Senate)No Position 35.4%
Legislative CorrespondentVery Well 75.0%Very Well 80.2%
Somewhat Closely 23.6%Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Not At All 1.4%
Legislative DirectorVery Well 78.8%Very Well 83.4%
Somewhat Closely 21.2%Somewhat Closely 11.1%
No Position 3.7%
Office Manager/Very Well 34.1%Very Well 57.8%c
Administrative DirectorSomewhat Closely 61.0%Somewhat Closely 36.6%
Not At All 4.9%Does Not Describe 4.2%
No Position 1.23%



P osition House Senate
PressVery Well 80.0%Very Well 56.8%
Secretary/CommunicationsdSomewhat Closely 20.0%Somewhat Closely 27.2%
DirectorDoes Not Describe 1.2%
No Position 9.9%
Communications Director — Very Well 63.0%
(Senate only)Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 13.6%
SchedulerVery Well 58.7%Very Well 69.1%
(Washington, DC)Somewhat Closely 39.1%Somewhat Closely 19.8%
Not At All 2.2%Does Not Describe 2.5%
No Position 7.4%
Systems AdministratorVery Well 42.9%Very Well 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). 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.
No tes:
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.



Duties and Functions of Selected Staff Positions in
Congressional Personal Offices23
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/Caseworker24
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 in
assigned areas of responsibility, and
!monitor and update the Member and district director on district and
local issues.


23 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.
24 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.

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 position 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;25 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


25 The Committee on House Administration, or the Senate Committee on Rules and
Administration.

Coordinator, Scheduler (Washington, DC), Systems Administrator, Legislative Aide,
Staff Assistant (Washington, DC).
Press Secretary/Communications Director
Incumbents in either position26 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).


26 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.

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.