House leaders launch program aimed at increasing racial diversity of staffers

PUBLISHED in THE HILL
By Jordy Yager - 04/13/10 02:11 PM ET

House leaders launched a much-discussed program on Tuesday to increase racial diversity among congressional staff by intensifying recruitment and retention efforts.

The initiative, launched by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), comes in the wake of a study that revealed only 13 percent of House chief of staffs were minorities.

The House initiative creates several programs to increase the hiring of top-ranking minority employees, including a diversity-oriented awareness program and a “resume bank” targeting diverse candidates.

It was developed with the chairman, Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.), and ranking Republican, Rep. Dan Lungren (Calif.), of the House Administration Committee, which will head up the implementation of the programs in conjunction with an advisory council.

The council will consist of members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which collectively are known as the House Tri-Caucus.
“We strongly support this important first step,” said House Tri-Caucus members Reps. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) in a statement.

“We look forward to working with House leadership and the Committee on House Administration as well as our members as this initiative grows, recognizing that much remains to be done to ensure that the staff of the House of Representatives reflects the rich diversity of our nation.”

Tuesday’s announcement also directed the office of the House clerk, the chief administrative officer, the house inspector general, the House sergeant at arms and the acting architect of the Capitol to submit reports that detail the current state of diversity within their organizations, as well as proposals to increase these levels.

“Diversity is one of America's fundamental strengths and all of our nation's communities are a rich source of exceptional talent,” said Pelosi in a statement.
“Drawing from this diverse pool of talent will ensure that the House of Representatives benefits from new and innovative solutions to our complex national challenges. With this new diversity initiative, we not only live up to the basic American ideal of equal opportunity for all, but we strengthen the quality of our workforce.”

Source:
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/91921-house-leaders-launch-racial-diversity-program