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Order Code 98-758
Updated July 17, 2003
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Pages of the United States Congress:
Selection, Duties, and Program
Administration
Mildred Amer
Specialist in American Government
Government and Finance Division
Summary
For more than 150 years, messengers known as pages have served the United States
Congress. Currently, approximately 100 young men and women from across the nation
serve as pages at any given time. Pages must be high school juniors and at least 16 years
of age. Several incumbent and former Members of Congress as well as other prominent
Americans have been congressional pages.
Senator Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate page in 1829. The first House
pages began their service in 1842. The first women were appointed as pages in 1971.
Pages must be appointed and sponsored by a Member of Congress for one or two
semesters of a school year, or a summer session. They are appointed on a rotating basis
pursuant to criteria set by the House and Senate leadership, which determines the
Members eligible to sponsor a page. Academic standing is among the most important
criteria used in the final selection of pages. Prospective pages are advised to contact
their Senators or Representative to request consideration for a page appointment. This
fact sheet is one of a series on the legislative process. For more information on the
legislative process, please see [http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome/shtml].
Duties
Pages serve principally as messengers. They carry documents between the House
and Senate, Members' offices, committees, and the Library of Congress. They also
prepare the House and Senate chambers for each day's business by distributing the
Congressional Record and other documents related to the day's agenda, assist in the
cloakrooms and chambers, and when Congress is in session, sit near the dais where they
may be summoned by Members for assistance.
Congressional Research Service + The Library of Congress](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.crs/crsuntaaaxc0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)