The senior aides who hold the most sway with members of Congress have grown more diverse in recent years, but still not nearly as diverse as the nation as a whole.
A new study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies finds that people of color now occupy 18 percent of the top staff positions in the House — a 4-point increase since 2018, but still much lower than the 40 percent of Americans who aren’t white.
“The decisions [Congress] makes can impact all Americans,” said LaShonda Brenson, the report’s author. “If the House staff who advise policymakers to make decisions are not diverse, then they cannot accurately reflect the perspective of all Americans.”
