Make permanent the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

The Committee has made staff recruitment, retention and diversity a priority since its inception. Over the course of the 116th Congress, the Committee has continually discussed the importance of having different perspectives and experiences at every level in Congress. In hearings, virtual discussions, and staff and Member-level meetings, the committee heard from a diverse set of voices that highlighted the need for better hiring practices and more focused attention on diversity and inclusion.

It’s clear to the Members of the Committee that Congress needs to do more to recruit and retain staffers who reflect the diversity of the American people. Congress also needs to routinely survey staff, not just on pay and benefits, but also on their backgrounds to better understand the makeup of the People’s House. For these reasons, Committee Members recommended making the House Office of Diversity and Inclusion permanent.

As described earlier in this chapter, the Rules of the House of Representatives for the 116th Congress (H.Res. 6) established the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to develop a plan including, in part, ‘‘policies to direct and guide House employing offices to recruit, hire, train, develop, advance, promote, and retain a diverse workforce.’’ The Office, however, was only authorized for the 116th Congress. The Committee believed the Office should be extended into future Congresses. If the ‘‘People’s House’’ is to make earnest efforts to improve diversity among the congressional workforce, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion should be established permanently and efforts to evaluate its effectiveness and mission should be ongoing.

Making the Office permanent will enable Congress to better recruit and retain a diverse workforce. Additionally, once the Office is made permanent, the Committee recommends that a representative serve on the HR HUB described in the previous recommendation. The Committee on House Administration must evaluate the progress and mission of the Office at the end of the 116th Congress, and no later than three years after it is made permanent.