The Hill hosts reception for ‘The 25 staffers who make Capitol Hill run’ 

The Hill hosted more than 200 guests Thursday night for an event honoring 25 staffers who make Capitol Hill run. 

The project celebrated notable House and Senate staffers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to advance major legislation and make sure the day-to-day operations of Congress run smoothly.  

The 25 staffers being honored at the event could be spotted with a yellow sticker on their nametags. The Hill’s General Manager Joe Ruffolo introduced them and said it’s important to bring recognition to people who often go unnoticed and underappreciated in Congress. 

“We are the leading politics and policy site in the city,” Ruffolo said at the event, sponsored by Samsung, which provided the venue for the reception, as well as Amazon, the American Investment Council and Quantum Computing and Connect. 

“And not only do we like to cover the news of what’s happening, but we think it’s also important to recognize all the people that make it happen. And tonight, we’re really going to focus on people that do make everything happen in the background. Sometimes we don’t know their names. But I think it’s important to recognize them.” 

Jennifer Cetta, the head of government relations for Samsung Electronics America, said it was a privilege to celebrate the staffers.  

“We’re really grateful to the honorees and all the congressional staff, candidly, who are gathered here for your dedication and commitment to public service at Samsung,” she said.  

“Our commitment to innovation and excellence is one that is well reflected in our partnership with the Hill and honoring the men and women who really value public service and whose countless hours and commitment have brought meaningful change to millions of Americans.” 

Ben Gielow, the head of the political affairs team at Amazon, gave a shoutout to the staffers at the event as he reflected on his own time as a Hill staffer. 

“Good staffers always look for ways to position their boss for positive recognition,” Gielow said. “Try not to take credit for themselves. But to be honest, we all know really where the work gets done.” 

Following the opening remarks, there was a brief panel discussion between Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and French Hill (R-Ark.) led by one of the Hill’s congressional reporters, Mychael Schnell. 

“I do come at my job in Congress from the perspective of a former staffer, because the staff does make the Capitol Hill work and work effectively and events like this that let them get to know each other better,” Hill said. 

“The place doesn’t work without them, and we all know that,” Cole said. “And quite frankly, it works better because of the quality [of the staffers].” 

The event continued with food, drinks, and photos to celebrate the 25 notable staffers and all of the hard work they and every other congressional staffer do to ensure Congress runs smoothly.