A Senate page is a high school junior who serves the United States Senate in Washington, D.C. . Pages are nominated by senators, usually from their home state, and perform a variety of tasks, such as delivering messages and legislative documents on the Senate floor and the various Capitol Hill offices. Pages are provided housing and attend a special page school at the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence. Senate pages were first appointed in 1829. Originally limited to boys only, the Senate page program was expanded in 1971 to include girls. There are a maximum of 30 pages assigned to each Senate session, with 16 appointed by the majority party and 14 by the minority. Pages serve senators of the sponsoring senators party.
The Senate Page Program provides the opportunity for high school juniors to get involved in public service and witness firsthand the legislative process in the United States Senate. Pages play an important role in the daily operation of the Senate, and their shared responsibilities consist primarily of delivering correspondence and legislative material within the Capitol and Senate office buildings, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, working on the Senate floor providing assistance during roll call votes, supporting senators and staff during debates, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk.
The Senate Page School is a program fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and pages attend classes in the early morning. The program of study is designed to complement the students’ academic work at home, therefore courses offered are those considered most important to juniors. All pages are required to enroll in one course from each discipline in the following list unless they have already received credit for all course offerings: mathematics, science, English, and social studies.
Pages must be sponsored by a senator, and there are 30 page positions that serve the 100 members of the United States Senate. Students who wish to apply for a Senate page position and meet the eligibility requirements listed on the Senate Page Program website should write to their senators and request to be considered for a position. The application process consists of an online application, essay question, and submission of a resume and two letters of recommendation. Pages are paid on an annual salary basis of $35,360.
