The House now has a human resources department, professionalizing and standardizing workforce support and resources.
Why This Matters
Every Member of Congress has autonomy over their team’s hiring and office management, an element that is vital for ensuring a district is being served by individuals in alignment with the Member’s views. However, standardization of internal operations, such as communicating payroll and benefits information and providing professional development opportunities is key to fostering a fair workplace. Members and staff began to recognize that instead of each of the 441 Member and Delegate offices handling all aspects of HR individually, an institutional office that serves all employees could standardize and optimize the support employees receive on the Hill, at all stages of their career.
How It Happened
In response to the challenges and solutions identified by ModCom, CAO, CHA, and the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee partnered to craft a development plan for a centralized House HR Hub. These discussions were further explored by ModCom, resulting in recommendation #6 to create a one-stop shop Human Resources Hub dedicated to Member, committee, and leadership staff. Under the office of the CAO, the House HR Hub was established in the 117th Congress as a nonpartisan, staff-focused office that helps inform staff and aid managers with best practices and resources.
The Impact
Managed by the CAO, the HR Hub is a resource bank of HR best practices and data to help inform and support staff and managers across DC and the district offices. Prior to the creation of this office, there was no centralized resource for staff of all levels to turn to for up-to-date information on HR-related topics, and no institutionally-hosted office to assist managers in exploring and adopting best practices to boost the culture, efficiency, and effectiveness of their teams.
Next Steps
Personnel practices evolve, and so should the work of the Human Resources Hub. The Senate should establish a similar HR office within its chamber to achieve parity in Congress. Doing so will ensure staffers in both chambers will benefit, which should positively impact staff retention rates.
Glossary
ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act
AOC = Architect of the Capitol
CHA = Committee on House Administration
CAO = House Chief Administrative Officer
CDTF = Congressional Data Task Force
COLA = Cost-of-Living Adjustment
CPF = Community Project Funding
CR = Continuing Resolution
GAO = Government Accountability Office
GAO STAA = The Government Accountability Office’s Science, Technology Assessment, and Analytics team
GenAI = Generative Artificial Intelligence
HIRO = House Intern Resource Office
HDS = House Digital Service
LIS = Legislative Information Service
LLM = Large Language Model
MIA = Modernization Initiatives Account
ModCom = The House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress
ModSub = Subcommittee on Modernization (ModSub) within the Committee on House Administration
MOU = Memorandum of Understanding
NMO = New Member Orientation
OCWR = Office of Congressional Workplace Rights
