The legislative branch is composed of two bodies, the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the agencies that support members of Congress, such as the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office.
Overview of Congress
The House, sometimes referred to as “the people’s house,” has 435 voting representatives. The number of representatives for, each state depends on its population. Since population numbers are based on the decennial census count, the number of representatives for a state could change every 10 years. Each representative‘s term is two years.
The District of Columbia is represented by a delegate, as are the U.S. territories of American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These officials provide services to constituents, like other members of the House.
The Senate has 100 senators—two per state no matter the population—each of whom serves for a six-year term. But those terms are staggered. Every two years, a third of U.S. senators are up for election.
Working for Congress
When you look for work in Congress, you will find options to work either in a member’s Washington, D.C., office or home state office.
Other places to find jobs are in:
- Congressional committees in Washington, D.C.
- Congressional caucuses—formed by groups of members who coalesce around common goals and interests
- The offices of House and Senate party leaders
- Internal support offices such as the House or Senate sergeant– at– arms, or the Legislative Counsel.
Committee staff members are usually hired to work in policy areas that fall within the committee’s role—and to prepare committee members for hearings, meetings and votes. For example, staff members on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee work on issues related to veterans’ benefits, access to care and ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs best fulfills its responsibilities.
Congressional offices set their hiring procedures and qualifications independently from one another, although they do share some resources things, including resume banks. Find information on vacancies and resume banks the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Congressional Agencies
Members of Congress and their staff count on support from several nonpartisan legislative agencies you might consider:
- The Government Accountability Office conducts oversight, evaluations, investigations and audits of federal programs to help improve government services and save taxpayer dollars. Learn more about GAO careers here.
- The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, and the home of the U.S. Copyright Office, and Congress’ main research arm, the Congressional Research Service. The service provides authoritative, objective and nonpartisan analysis to lawmakers and their staff. Learn more about careers at the Library of Congress, the U.S. Copyright Office and the Congressional Research Service on their career pages.
- Positions at both the Government Accountability Office and Library of Congress can also be found on USAJOBS, the federal government’s official employment website.
- The Congressional Budget Office performs independent budget and economic analyses of federal programs and proposed legislation. Learn more about CBO careers in the office here.
What to Know About Congressional Internships
Congressional internships offer a unique opportunity to learn about the legislative branch and the lawmaking process, and they are an excellent way to prepare for careers in government.
- When considering an internship, understand that most are either for a Democratic or Republican member of Congress. Before applying for a position, make sure you are comfortable working for a particular member. Learn whether members’ interests and policy positions align with your own.
- A good place to start is to find your representative and apply to that office, although you are not limited to the district or state where you live.
- Think creatively about the congressional offices and members of Congress you could work for. Consider members who represent districts that include your school or alma mater or look at committees led by members of Congress from your district or state.
- Your personal network can be helpful. Consider reaching out to members’ offices and committee offices to ask about internship opportunities or to request an informational interview.
- You can typically find applications on members’ official websites. Try searching the member’s name and “internship” if you cannot find it right away.
- Consider signing up for newsletters or listservs from congressional offices or committees that interest you. Announcements for internships and job openings will likely be included. You can also check if your school’s career center has additional recommendations for listservs or alumni groups that track congressional opportunities.
- You might respond to constituent phone calls, attend briefings and hearings on behalf of the office, draft policy memos, assist staff members with research projects, meet with constituents or give them tours of the Capitol, or any number of other activities.
- Each congressional office determines if and how much it pays for an internship.
- Ask your school if you can get academic credit and what the requirements are.
- Your responsibilities in a home or state office typically involve more constituent services, such as assisting with casework and attending town halls with the member of Congress and staff.
- Casework can include helping a constituent expedite a passport renewal or secure benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. You might help staff members prepare a member of Congress who plans to attend a town hall, or other event, to meet with constituents and hear about issues facing the district. Afterward, you may be asked to follow up on those conversations and issues.
- Your responsibilities in a member’s Washington, D.C.,office typically involve more legislative activities, including undertaking legislative research and attending hearings or briefings.
- Your internship with the House or Senate provides a great opportunity to learn about the legislative branch.
- Your experience will depend on your role. For example, if you are a legislative intern, you will focus more on following policy issues, attending hearings and drafting constituent response letters. If you are a press intern, you will respond to media requests and help the communication team. Your tasks will depend on the specific needs of the congressional office where you land your internship.
- Read each job listing for specifics on who can apply. Most opportunities are open to undergraduate students, graduate students or recent graduates, while some may be limited to law students.
What to Know About Congressional Jobs
- Most congressional offices—personal, committee and leadership—operate as their own individual entities. This means that the same or similar jobs in each office could have different titles, roles and responsibilities.
- The entry-level position in most congressional offices is staff assistant, and an internship is an excellent way to land this job, or another full-time position. In fact, many congressional staffers got their start as interns.
- A committee staff is usually led by a staff director: one for the majority and one for the minority political party. Common positions include committee clerk, counsel and professional staff members, who typically handle two, three or even more issues for the committee.
- The work in Washington, D.C., offices is usually centered around policy and issue areas, and includes supporting the member of Congress with his or her committee assignments and caucus affiliations. Staff members might also handle constituent casework that comes to the D.C. office. You will likely assist members with their committee hearings and votes, and give visitors tours of the Capitol building as well as information about other sights to see while in town.
- Work in the district office tends to be more focused on constituent service requests. Constituents often seek help navigating the federal government, whether to check on the status of a tax refund, to figure out a Social Security issue or to get a recommendation to a military service academy.
- Staff members in both Washington, D.C., and district office jobs meet with constituents, experts or other stakeholders who provide input on issues before Congress that impact the district, representative or senator.
- Like many other government jobs, you will most likely need to complete a background check. Some offices and committees may also require you to get fingerprinted.
- If you are looking for a position in an office or a committee that handles national security information, you may be required to have or get a security clearance as a condition of employment. Check position descriptions for more details.
- The House and the Senate have their own ethics committee to ensure congressional and staff members do not have conflicts of interest or engage in unethical activities when it comes to gift-giving, campaigning, travel, or other areas.
- The House and Senate websites offer detailed FAQ sections on these ethics considerations.