Key resource is trained staff that can help
Staffers do a lot of important work on legislation
Congressional staff grew because lawmaking became more complex in the 1990s and representatives could not know all of the issues.
Personal Staff: Work directly for individual senators and representatives
Committee Staff: Work for the many House and Senate committees
Administrative assistant (AA): runs the lawmaker’s office, supervises the lawmaker’s schedule and gives advice on political matters.
Legislative assistants (LA): Makes certain that the lawmaker is well informed about the many bills with which she or he must deal
Caseworkers: they handle the many requests for help from a member’s constituents.
Every committee and subcommittee in Congress has a staff
Library of Congress (world’s largest library) was created to purchase books as may be necessary for the use of Congress and to serve as the research arm for Congress
Congressional Budget Office studies the budget proposals put forward by the president each year and projects the costs of proposed programs
Government Accountability Office (GAO) watchdog over how the funds Congress appropriates are spent
Comptroller general is appointed to a 15-year term to run the GAO.
Government Printing Office (GPO) is the largest multipurpose printing plant in the world.
Congressional staffers spend a good deal of time preparing speeches for legislators because those words will be published in the record