LegiStorm

A Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) adviser has moved to a racial-equity group.

Makenzi Sumners joined the Low Income Investment Fund this month as a national-policy manager. LIIF is a community development financial institution that focuses on furthering racial equity through affordable housing, education and health. The group maintains a small Washington lobbying presence.

Sumners was most recently policy adviser and special-project coordinator to Watson Coleman, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee.

Republicans have added an evangelical lobbyist to the House Homeland Security Committee.

Alexandra McPhee comes from Concerned Women for America. McPhee was a government-relations director and registered lobbyist for the conservative evangelical group. CWA, whose founder was married to the now-deceased Tim LaHaye, co-author of the "Left Behind" franchise once wildly popular in evangelical circles, lobbies on issues ranging from abortion to traditional marriage through its legislative action committee.

McPhee is joining the committee as member services director under chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.). McPhee, an attorney, is an alumnus of then-Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and the House Judiciary Committee.

It's not just the House that's paying its white staffers more: Non-white staffers are bringing in thousands of dollars less in the Senate, too.

Regardless of party, Black staffers were the Senate's lowest-paid racial group from October 2022 through March 2023. According to a LegiStorm analysis, Black Democratic staffers made 82% that of the median white staffer - a difference of $6,200 in six months.

Republicans had a smaller median pay disparity than Democrats but also employ far fewer racial minorities. Non-white Senate staffers make up nearly a third of Democrats' workforce but only 7% of Republicans'.

Republicans' median Black staffer made 91% that of white staffers, or about $3,000 less during that time period. The GOP paid its Asian-American/Pacific Islander staffers 2% more than white staffers, or $700 more.

Across both parties, non-white staffers working out of D.C. offices made 85% compared to the median white D.C. staffer. Non-white staffers working in state offices made 91% that of white staffers.

Non-white staffers were paid less across all job functions, with communications staffers seeing the largest median pay gap. This does not compare pay rates by exact job title.

This analysis examines the median pay across all full-time Senate staffers but does not reflect further distribution of those pay differences. These salary rates include any annual bonuses and may not necessarily reflect the median staffer's pay rate for the entire year.

The House's Caucasian staffers are on track to make thousands of dollars more than their non-white counterparts this year, according to a LegiStorm analysis of the chamber's newest salary data.

Hispanic staffers were House Democrats' lowest paid racial group in the first quarter and made 94% that of the median white Democratic staffer. That amounts to a median difference of just under $1,200 in three months. Black staffers, House Republicans' lowest-paid racial group, made 93% that of the median white Republican staffer - a median of $1,600 less in the same pay period.

Across both parties, non-white staffers working out of D.C. offices made 96% compared to the median white D.C. staffer. White and non-white district staffers brought home the same median pay.

The racial pay gap held true among staffers with policy and communications job functions. Among constituent services staffers, the median white and non-white aide made virtually the same pay. This analysis does not compare exact job titles.

This analysis examines the median pay across all full-time House staffers but does not reflect further distribution of those pay differences. These salary rates include any annual bonuses that were paid in Q1 and may not necessarily reflect the median staffer's pay rate for the entire year.

Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) is already on his second chief of staff in just half a year in office.

The controversial Republican promoted legislative director Marcus Dunn to the top spot earlier this month following former chief of staff Charley Lovett's departure from the office.

Dunn left the Hill for K Street almost 20 years ago before joining Santos' office in January. In addition to his lobbying and consulting experience, he's worked as an actor on a number of commercials and television shows and in D.C.-area theater productions.