The Hill hosted more than 250 guests Tuesday evening for an event honoring this year’s 25 staffers who make Capitol Hill run.
The Hill’s “Notable Staffers” project is in its second year of celebrating notable House and Senate staffers whose tireless work goes on behind the scenes.
The 25 staffers were honored by The Hill’s General Manager Joe Ruffolo, who emphasized the importance of their work, which is often unnoticed by the public.
The event was sponsored by Samsung, which provided the venue for the reception, as well as Amazon, the American Investment Council and the American Petroleum Institute.
Following opening remarks from Ruffolo and representatives from the sponsors, who were former staffers themselves, there was a brief panel discussion led by one of The Hill’s congressional reporters, Mychael Schnell.
It featured a bipartisan group of representatives, who shared stories about their honored staffers and highlighted the countless hours of work done by the teams behind lawmakers. Staff members draft legislation, help constituents, work with the media, run research, manage schedules and more. Their work, aiding lawmakers, affects millions of people across the country.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who often don’t agree on much in Congress, shared a similar sentiment on Tuesday’s panel: They would not be where they are today without the help of their staff.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who was once chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), noted the event’s crowd was bipartisan and “not everyone is going to agree” on legislation, but they all work hard for what they believe is right.
Roy said his time as a staff member informs how he approaches relationships with his team.
“Let’s just say I didn’t sleep a lot when I was Ted Cruz’s chief of staff … but I’m proud of that time, just like I know that the staffers are proud of their time,” Roy said looking at the crowd.
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the work ethic of lawmakers’ top staffers “permeates” and that’s how Congress is able to “get good work done.”
“Good people work on Capitol Hill,” he said, later adding that his current chief of staff began in his office as an intern. Hiring good people at the top will trickle down to lower-level staff, Jordan said.
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) spoke highly about the bipartisan work done on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party. Especially during travel, staff members carry themselves well and work together.
“You wouldn’t necessarily know who’s the Republican staff and who is Democratic staff,” Moolenaar said.
Staffers work late nights and weekends. They often see lawmakers more than their family members and form lifelong relationships. Looking at the honorees, the representatives said they were staffers’ friends and extended families.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) shared a similar sentiment, noting how “no matter where we come from politically,” the work is fueled by the staff. He’s attended his staffers’ weddings and emphasized that “regardless of political party, you just mean a lot to us.”
Lawmakers and their staff go through “a lot together,” Rep. Jaime Raskin (D-Md.) said.
“There’s a certain kind of trust that builds,” Raskin said. “The people who stick with you, are the people who probably, you have the most kinship in terms of values, in terms of principles over time.”
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) remarked about Congress’s progress in increasing diversity among lawmakers, but argued more can be done about hiring diverse staff members, particularly for top positions. Diversity in thought and perspective makes Congress stronger, he said.
“This is something that we need to have more dialogue about and actually, action,” Horsford said, giving a shoutout to the staff of the Congressional Black Caucus, which he chairs.
The event concluded with food, drinks and photos to celebrate the 25 notable staffers and the work they and their colleagues do to make Capitol Hill function.
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