They handle a variety of tasks, including policy research, constituent services, communications, and administrative support.
[3] The size of both personal and committee staff increased considerably after the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act.
[2] Following the significant increase in 1947, there was gradual growth in the number of both kinds of staff for about twenty years.
[2] Increased staff specialization also occurred during this period of slow growth (i.e., staffers began to be divided into press, legislative, and casework roles).
"[2] The political scientist Morris P. Fiorina, in his book Congress: Keystone of the Washington Establishment, found that the number of congressional staff more than doubled between 1960 and 1974.
"[2] In 2021 a group of staffers called Congressional Progressive Staff Association sought to push for workplace measures and with the support of Representative Andy Levin make incremental reforms.
There are also leadership staff who assist party leaders in managing legislative priorities.