Senate Page Program


Senate pages play an important role in the day-to-day operation of the Senate while watching history in the making. Living away from home and attending school with students from across the country allows pages to experience a myriad of new ideas, pOfficial 111th Congress photoerspectives, and issues. Pages meet some of the nation's most prominent leaders and witness firsthand the political debates of the United States Senate, often referred to as the "greatest deliberative body in the world."

Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional Complex. Other duties include taking messages for members, calling them to the phone, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. A rotation system is practiced so that every page has an opportunity to experience all areas of service. Pages are paid on the basis of an annual salary of $21,033.

There are four established page sessions with 30 pages per session, and Senators have the opportunity to host a page during one of these sessions each year. Unfortunately, this means Senator Murray is only able to host one page per year. The academic year consists of two semesters which run from early September through mid-January and from mid-January through mid-June. The summer program consists of two sessions which are three or four weeks duration depending on the legislative calendar.

Following classes at the Page School, which extend until 9:45 a.m. or one hour prior to the commencement of the Senate, pages report for duty to their respective cloakrooms and work until 4:00 p.m. or until the Senate adjourns for the day, whichever is later.

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Requirements:

Students who are interested in becoming a Senate Page must be 16 or 17 years of age. They must be entering or finishing their junior year of high school and must have maintained a minimum of a 3.0 GPA. Applicants should be eager to learn more about the legislative process and dedicated to serving their community. They must also be extremely hardworking and capable of handling a challenging schedule and workload.

Senator Murray usually selects a page for the spring page session, which runs from mid-January to early June. Occasionally, she is able to sponsor a page during other sessions as well. If you are interested in a different page session, please contact our intern coordinator below.

The application due date for the spring page session is August 31 of the preceding year. Due to mail screening delays, it is acceptable and even preferable to e-mail or fax your application materials. Applications should include the following materials:

  • The Page Application Form
  • Two recommendations, including one from a headmaster, principal, academic advisor or teacher.
  • Resume
  • 1-2 page writing sample (may be an academic assignment)

Once your completed application is received, you will be contacted by the intern coordinator.

NOTE: Due to the Ricin incident in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in 2004, the opening and testing of all Senate mail is being done at an offsite facility. As a result, any letter you sent to the Senate takes an extra 1-2 weeks to reach us.

If you have any other questions, please contact:

Amaia Kirtland, Intern Coordinator
Office of Senator Patty Murray
173 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2621
Fax: (202) 224-0238
e-mail: dcinternship@murray.senate.gov