Arizona Insurance

As senators paraded before television cameras on Wednesday last, in a political struggle for the high above the ground national health insurance, assistance has worked behind the scenes on draft Republican.

They met daily last week, with Richard G. Darman, the White House director, and with the heads of the sponsors of the legislation: Senators Bob Dole of Kansas, leaders of the minority, John H. Chafee of Rhode Island; Dave Durenberger of Minnesota and Arizona John McCain. If the bill was announced at a press conference on Thursday, television, spectators saw several legislators credit, but they have received no evidence of efforts by Sheila Burke, M. Dole’s chief of staff. The cult of anonymity Congressional aid has remained intact.

The 40 years of Ms. Burke, earns $ 88000 a year, is one of the most influential of more than 19000 staff members of Congress on Capitol Hill, whose 7200 work in the Senate and 12150 in the house. Most legislators are personal Staffs, and include legislative, administrative and assistant secretary aid and clerical. Much of their work is almost invisible, except for a handful of Washington insiders, but whenever a moment sichverschwören circumstances putting them in the light of these issues.

Viewers of justice for the confirmation hearings of Clarence Thomas, for example, was a group of aid after the Congressional senators, whispering advice and handing over their heads arc of issues. Aufgeblähten and abuse?

President Bush is focusing on them rather than attention last month when he criticized the conference, it was suggested that the staff of an inflated 40000 workers. Indeed, as the Library of Congress, Capitol police, the General Accounting Office and other systems are the number at just over 31000 - roughly the same as a decade before.

Individuals Hill “, as they are known in Washington, including securities, as the Senate last month agreed to extend the offer of discrimination laws to its staff, strengthening the impression that they have been abused by a population with many benefits, but only a few rights. The Assembly had set the procedure relating to the fight against prejudices against its own employees.

Many come on Capitol Hill costs of college, but young people experienced, but without real power influential idealistic, but compromises. Within a few hours, it may be invited to a bill and bring the head of the laundry, serve as a sounding board policy and driver, to negotiate a compromise and the color of the head of an apartment . Your chances are more psychological than financial. It is their lack of job security, most earn $ 20000 to $ 40000 per year and 12 hours a day, are usual. Behind closed doors

But some have an impressive influence, especially in the field camera, the door closed during the negotiations. Shortly before the Senate a bill, citizens’ rights, last Wednesday, Senator John C. Danforth, Republican of Missouri, has increased praises Dennis Shea, an aide said he had negotiated a compromise with the White House, said: “It was, above all, because its efforts, we have all the Convention. ”

Indeed, some members felt that rescuers were too powerful and too dependent on their heads among them. “I’m getting too damn tired by the members, it can not go anywhere without staff,” Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Democrat of Texas, said as he flâné on the hand-Capitol lawn scattered recently. “They do not know the problems themselves.”

In Congress elections hierarchy, staff higher than the committee is a member of staff, perhaps because the experts in different themes such as disarmament and wetlands. Many of them for a few years on Capitol Hill before joining the bureaucracy, a centre of law firm or a professional association. Some politicians have finally, judges or regulatory authorities.

And some make a return on Capitol Hill. Three of the four first congress began his career as assistant: Thomas S. House Foley spokesman in Washington, Senator George J. Mitchell of Maine, most of the heads and representatives of Robert H. Michel of Illinois, leader of the house minority.