People of color make up 50.9% of the constituents in districts represented by white Democratic House members, but make up less than 29.4% of their senior staff.
People of color make up 28.3% of the constituents in districts represented by white Republican House members, but make up less than 6.4% of their senior staff.
Why It Matters
An increase in diversity among top staff would allow members to more effectively represent their constituents. The perspectives and leadership from racially diverse senior staff will be particularly essential to dismantling structural inequality in Congress.
Chief of Staff
Legislative Director
Communications Director
Top personal office staff and top committee staff in Washington, D.C. influence lawmaking, spending, and staffing by:
Overseeing federal agencies with over 3.6 million employees
Shaping the $6.011 trillion U.S. federal budget
Drafting laws
Providing input into confirmation of federal judges and agency appointees
Hiring, managing, and dismissing congressional staff
The Solution
What can be done?