The United States Senate Page Program introduces students from diverse backgrounds to many interesting and challenging experiences in the nation’s capital. Living away from home with students from across the country allows pages to experience a myriad of new ideas and perspectives as well as develop skills in communication and compromise. Pages learn the value of public service while meeting some of our nation’s most prominent leaders and witnessing firsthand the political debates of the United States Senate.
Pages play an important role in the daily operation of the Senate. Their shared responsibilities consist primarily of delivering correspondence and legislative material within the Capitol and Senate office buildings, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, and working on the Senate floor where they provide assistance during roll call votes, support senators and staff during debates, and carry bills and amendments to the desk.
Pages are expected to demonstrate maturity, personal responsibility, and time management skills. Pages maintain a rigorous schedule, including early mornings and late nights. Pages are employees of the U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms and are required to abide by policies and expectations established for employees. Additionally, pages must abide by a strict code of conduct and guidelines established by the Page Program.
Pages must be sponsored by a senator. There are 30 page positions that serve the 100 members of the United States Senate; therefore, not all senators are able to appoint pages. Students who wish to apply for a Senate page position and meet the eligibility requirements should write to their senators and request to be considered for a position. Senators’ offices may provide additional information on their application requirements.
Senate pages must adhere to all U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms employment policies regarding ethics, discrimination, and harassment, as well as Page Program policies prohibiting the use of drugs and alcohol. Pages are prohibited from posting anything on social media regarding the United States Senate or the Senate Page Program during their session. Pages do not have access to their cell phones except for weekend travel and vacations; phones are provided for pages so that they may stay in touch with their families and friends.
During the school year, pages are required to live in the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence which is located on Capitol Hill. Pages share furnished rooms with three to five roommates. Laundry facilities and a kitchen are located within the building. The cost of residence living is $780 per month, which includes housing, two meals per day, and field trips; payments are withheld by automatic payroll deductions.
Additional pages may be selected as commuters during the summer sessions. Since space is limited in Webster Hall, summer pages may live with their parents or a relative in the area; alternate housing arrangements must be submitted in writing by the parents or legal guardian for approval by the executive director or deputy director.
A page’s day starts early. Following breakfast, pages begin school each morning at 6:00 a.m. They report to work one hour before the Senate convenes or at 10:00 a.m. (whichever is earlier). Pages’ hours of work are determined by the Senate schedule and change daily. On days that the Senate is in session, half of the group is excused from work at 6:00 p.m. and the other half when the Senate adjourns. On recess days, pages are excused at 4:00 p.m. Pages are supervised at work by staff in the cloakroom of their sponsoring senator’s party.
Pages enjoy free time after work and on weekends. They have the opportunity to explore our nation’s capital city with their fellow pages. The program organizes field trips and group activities for recreation. The U.S. Senate Page Program provides an opportunity for pages to form lifelong friendships. Many pages return to study or live in Washington, DC, often to work on Capitol Hill.
Personal responsibility, time management, and discipline are attributes that contribute to the success of Senate pages.
Pages are paid on an annual salary basis of $37,238. Since pages serve for less than a year, they do not earn an entire annual salary.
