Torres Works to Increase Staff Diversity and Inclusion in Congress

Statement

Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35) announced that the Fiscal Year 2020 Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill contains her priority to increase staff diversity in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 2018 midterm election ushered in the most diverse Congress in history, but disparities persist for staffers of color on Capitol Hill. A September 2018 report by the Joint Center for Political and Economic studies found that although people of color account for 38 percent of the U.S. population, they only represent 13.7 percent of the top staffers in the House. The legislation provides $1 million in funding for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which was established to help guide and direct House offices to recruit, hire, develop, and retain a diverse workforce.

"The 116th Congress made history for its diversity, but the House still has a lot of work to do to make sure its staff truly reflects the makeup of our districts we represent and America," said Torres. "Diverse staffers ensure that we're taking the invaluable experiences and perspectives of communities of color into account at every step of the policymaking process. This funding will allow this Congress to continue the fight for equity in our nation and in the halls of the U.S. Capitol."

Torres is a member of the powerful House Rules and Appropriations Committees. In the 115th Congress, she worked with Rules Committee Chairman James P. McGovern (D-MA) to include a provision that established a permanent House Diversity Initiative in the Rules package for the 116th Congress. The House Diversity Initiative calls for the creation of a permanent office in the House to help recruit and retain diverse employees to work in Congress.

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