2016 SBLSC Census Report and Recommendations

Executive Summary
The Senate Black Legislative Staff Caucus (SBLSC) is a bipartisan staff association that has
represented black Senate staffers since 1977, serving as a professional and social network for
members and a voice for a more inclusive Senate. In the wake of the December 2015 report on
Senate staff diversity from the Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies,1 the newly
elected Executive Board of SBLSC made measuring progress on diversity among Senate staff a
priority. One of the most striking data points from the Joint Center report was the finding that
less than 1 percent of the senior staff positions in the Senate are held by African-Americans.
The new Congress set to take office in January 2017 will be the most racially diverse in history,
as record numbers of Hispanics, African-Americans, Asian-Americans and women of color will
serve in the next legislative session.2 However, one year after the Joint Centers report, the
percentage of Senate African-Americans in senior staff roles has been flat at best. Our first of its
kind Census documents the number of black Senate staffers and solicits their views on office
environments and the progress being made in the Senate diversity efforts.3 The goal of this report
and recommendations is to highlight and address these challenges.
Key Findings
The results of our Census are clear and unambiguous: the membership of SBLSC emphatically
reject the Senate status quo with regard to current level of diversity and inclusion.
Of the estimated 3,655 Washington based Senate staffers,4 SBLSC was able to identify 180
black staffers, just 4.9% of the total makeup of DC Senate staffers.
74% of respondents disapproved or were indifferent with regard to how the Senate and
Member offices addressed the needs of black staffers.
Respondents were split on whether the Senate Democratic Initiative was effectively
assisting in increasing diversity in the Senate, with 41% saying it was at least somewhat
1

John R. Jones, Racial Diversity Among Top Senate Staff, Joint Center For Political and Economic Studies,
December 2, 2015,
http://jointcenter.org/sites/default/files/Racial%20Diversity%20Among%20Top%20Senate%20Staff%2012-215%20140%20pm%20(2).pdf.
2
Cristina Marcos, 115th Congress Will be Most Racially Diverse in History, The Hill, November 17, 2016,
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/306480-115th-congress-will-be-most-racially-diverse-in-history.
3
The Census consisted of two parts. The first part was a survey collecting professional and demographic
information on our memberswhere they work, their titles, education, and past work experience in the Senate. The
second part, examines aggregated and anonymized viewpoints on a variety of topics.
4
Congressional Research Service, Senate Staff Levels in Member, Committee, Leadership, and Other Offices, 19772016, Pg. 3-4, September 13, 2016, http://www.crs.gov/reports/pdf/R43946 (the number of Washington based
staffers was determined by adding the numbers of DC personal office staff, committee staff, and leadership office
staff).

effective, 34% saying it was mostly ineffective, and 25% unsure of its effectiveness.
After reviewing the responses we received and speaking to our membership, SBLSC makes the
following recommendations:
1. Create a Non-Partisan Diversity Office in the Senate.
2. Work with third party organizations and government agencies to create senior level
fellowship partnerships and intern pipelines in each office.
3. Increase the resources of the Office of Compliance to allow them to expand their
training and education capacity.
Recommendations in Detail
1. Create a Non-Partisan Diversity Office in the Senate
We applaud the development of the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative, which was created
by Democratic Leader Harry Reid in 2007, and growing awareness of the value of an inclusive
workforce. We believe, however, that in order for the Senate to take the next leap toward
developing a workforce that reflects the demographic makeup of America, the Senate should
consider establishing a nonpartisan office that focuses on fostering inclusion in the Senate.
The Senate could create such an office by passing a resolution to establish an office of the Chief
Diversity Officer of the Senate. This office could reside in the Office of the Senate Sergeant At
Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate, or with the Office of the Secretary of the Senate. The Office
of the Chief Diversity Officer would assist any Member office or Committee that chooses to
participate with the development and implementation of staff diversity plans. This office also
would collect employee demographic data comparable to the data private employers and federal
agencies are required to collect under federal law. This data would be compiled and reported
semi-annually. In addition, the office would be charged with developing Senate-wide programs
designed to increase diversity among Senate employing offices and committees. The
establishment of this office with such a mandate would achieve critical elements necessary to
significantly move the Senate forward:
a. Transparency through data collectionone of the most fundamental challenges to
fostering staff diversity in the Senate is a lack of record-keeping of employee data.
Congress saw fit to require certain employers to maintain records of employee
demographics. There is no reason the Senate cannot hold itself to this same standard of
transparency. The ability to collect data in each employing office would allow for the
identification of trends and create an environment conducive to developing best practices
in hiring.
b. Shared Bipartisan Cooperation on the Value of DiversityDevelopment of a nonpartisan
and centralized office should be a matter that enjoys wide, bipartisan support. As recently
2

as 2014, a bipartisan group of Senators joined in a resolution expressing support for

encouraging the use of voluntary measures to promote qualified minorities to senior
positions in the private sector5. Creating an inclusive work and hiring environment is a
nonpartisan issue. The development of a nonpartisan and centralized office would allow
for the entire chamber to benefit from dedicated individuals that seek to help offices build
staffs that reflect the diversity of the nation and their constituencies, while
complementing existing entities such as the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative,
which seek to assist individual prospective and current staffers navigate the employment
landscape.
c. Promote the development of office diversity plansthe creation of this office would
significantly shift the mindset of employing offices by encouraging Members and senior
staffers to develop diversity plans, the implementation of which, would greatly advance
the goal of diversifying Senate staff ranks. Senators and their staffers responsible for
hiring should commit to implementing diversity plans that develop and maintain diverse
hiring pools, which increase the probability that people of color are hired and promoted
for senior level positions. As part of these plans, Senators should consider committing to
creating a diverse set of interviewers for each senior level hire, which has become an
emerging best practice in corporate and legal America.
2. Work with third party organizations and administrative agencies to create senior level
fellowship partnerships and intern pipelines in each office
In order for the Senate to effectively address the lack of diversity in the workplace, we
recommend that Senate employing offices pursue relationships and partnerships with
organizations in the philanthropic sector, as well as government agencies and nonpartisan
organizations committed to working with Congress and communities of color to establish senior
level fellowship opportunities.
In addition, we recommend that leadership work to secure commitments from Senate offices to
take interns of color in each intern class over the course of a given year. Senate staff associations
and their members can be helpful in connecting offices with outside organizations and in
assisting new interns and fellows adjust to life in the Senate.
3. Increase the resources of the Office of Compliance to allow them to expand their training
and education capacity.
Established by the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995, the Office of Compliance (OOC)
should be an important tool in enforcing health, safety, and anti-discrimination laws that protect
5

S. Res. 511, 113th Congress (a resolution establishing best business practices to fully utilize the potential of the
United States, co-sponsored by 5 Republicans and 3 Democrats).

thousands of Senate employees. Congress mandated that the OOC educate Senators on their
workplace responsibilities and inform employees of their rights as outlined in the law, yet there
is no mandatory training and few offices participate in training on a voluntary basis. Because the
OOC is a neutral and independent office best suited to carry out an anti-discrimination training
program, including discussion of implicit bias and best workplace behaviors, their role should be
increased during orientation of new Senators and for all new employees in conjunction with the
Senate Chief Counsel for Employment. At a minimum the Office should have an opportunity to
present an introduction to its role in the legislative community at the formal new Senator
orientation. We recommend that the Senate provide the OOC with additional resources it may
need to effectively perform its education role for Senate staff.
In closing, SBLSC is committed to working with any Senator or office willing to take the next
step toward creating a truly inclusive environment. We believe that adopting and acting upon
these recommendations would signal a watershed moment in the history of the Senate. We do not
advocate for developing a workforce that reflects the demographics of a Members state and the
nation as a whole merely on equity grounds. Doing so is a necessity as Senators and senior
staffers develop policy and deliberate on complex matters that impact growing communities of
color. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce both in Washington and in a Members home
state develops a deeper bond with represented communities, and ensures that individuals of all
backgrounds are heard.