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Sekula-Gibbs also leveled charges of unprofessionalism against the former aides, saying they "left without notice and their departure raises suspicions." An eighth staffer who left was a part-time employee shared with other offices.

An Eighth STAFFER???

Why in the world does a congresscritter need more than ONE assistant and ONE secretary???

This is nuts.

"Why in the world does a congresscritter need more than ONE assistant and ONE secretary???
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Because the volume of mail that comes through the offices is tremendous and the amount of constituent requests (help with social security, help navigating government bureaucracy, help booking a tour of the White House etc, etc) are really high. Congress also handles a tremendous amount of issues and considers a tremendous number of bills. One or two people can't possibly keep up with what is happening with all the bills and all the committees out there. It takes a lot of people to keep an office functioning. Most offices have around 20 staff and they are still understaffed.

If most Americans realized the vast empires and cost associated with congress and the senate...they'd start laughing. Going back 80 years...most had a secretary and one assistant...at the most. You see huge growth by the senate after WWII with their staff members...all paid by the US taxpayer. Personally...I can understand having a secretary and maybe two people in DC with you...arranging your schedule and making sure you show up at the right place. And maybe two people back in your home district answering questions and having a home office. But some of these jokers have two experts on their staff...just to write speeches and grease up lobbyists. The amusing part about staffs...is that there are 30 or 40 members in DC who are like little Army generals. They manipulate their congressman and have lobbyists paying for various trips or special favors. Often, these congressmen are so stupid...they don't even realize that Billy Joe...their glorous assistant...added a 3-line item into the law package authorizing a Polish-pottery company in Tupelo a $150k tax write-off. The congressman will never figure this out and you write it in a way that most reporters will easily miss.

Why in the world does a congresscritter need more than ONE assistant and ONE secretary???
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One of the many great untold stories of our modern Capitol Hill is the exorbitant number of staff that work there. The number is in the thousands.

These staffers are probably shopping resumes to other Republicans before January's big march to the unemployment offices.

When Republicans gained seats, the dems held a job fair to increase the number of slots available so that few if any staffers to congressmen and senators who lost seats would actuallyl have to leave the Hill. I do not know this for a fact, but I would not be surprised if incoming Republicans were convinced to absorb some of those Dem staffers. Our Republican politicians are not street fighters and the Dems are totally political every minute of every day.