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Senate

Geoff Antell

Chief of staff,
Senate Majority Leader
John Thune

Brian Colas

Staff director,
Senate Republican Conference

ROBERT DUNCAN

Secretary for the majority

NAZ DURAKOĞLU

Staff director,
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Democrats

DAN KUNSMAN

Staff director,
Senate Majority Whip
John Barrasso

ROBERT KAREM

Clerk,
Senate Appropriations,
Defense Subcommittee

MIKE LYNCH

Chief of staff,
Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer

ELIZABETH MACDONOUGH

Senate parliamentarian

BETSY MCDONNELL

Staff director,
Senate Appropriations Committee

CHRIS TOPPINGS

Senior policy adviser,
Senate Majority Leader
John Thune

House

ROBERT BOLAND

Chief of staff,
House Majority Whip
Tom Emmer

GIDEON BRAGIN

Executive director,
Office of the Democratic Leader

BRANDON CASEY

Democratic staff director,
House Ways and Means Committee

HAYDEN HAYNES

Chief of staff,
Speaker Mike Johnson

CHRISTOPHER HIXON

Staff director,
House Judiciary
Committee Republicans

BRETT HORTON

Chief of staff,
House Majority Leader
Steve Scalise

TASIA JACKSON

Chief of staff,
House Minority Leader
Hakeem Jeffries

JOEL MILLER

Chief counsel,
House Energy and
Commerce Committee

MARK ROMAN

Republican staff director,
House Ways and Means Committee

SUSAN ROSS

House Appropriations
chief clerk and staff director

ADMINISTRATION

GARY ANDRES

Nominee to be assistant secretary
of health and human services

JAMES BRAID

Director of the
White House Office of
Legislative Affairs

KEN KIES

Nominee to be assistant secretary
of the treasury for tax policy

KAROLINE LEAVITT

White House press secretary

STEPHEN MILLER

White House deputy chief of staff
for policy and homeland security adviser

ELON MUSK

Special government employee

DAVID SACKS

White House AI and crypto czar

RUSS VOUGHT

Director of the
Office of Management and Budget

MICHAEL WALTZ

White House national security adviser

SUSIE WILES

Chief of staff,
President Donald Trump

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Geoff Antell

Chief of staff,
Senate Majority Leader
John Thune

CLAIM TO FAME

A 15-year veteran of Capitol Hill and Harvard Law graduate, Antell is a constant presence on and around the Senate floor. He was previously a top aide to former Speaker Paul Ryan and helmed the Senate GOP whip office for John Thune. Few were as instrumental in propelling Thune to the GOP leadership suite.

SUPERPOWER

Unlike his boss, Antell prefers to fly under the radar and has a dry sense of humor that lets you know he’s serious. And like his boss, Antell is whip-smart on policy, procedure and politics.

Brian Colas

Staff director,
Senate Republican Conference

CLAIM TO FAME

Colas has worked for GOP Conference Chair Tom Cotton in multiple roles since the Arkansas Republican first came to the Senate in 2015. Colas has been a top aide in Cotton’s Senate office, managed Cotton’s 2020 reelection campaign and ran his own political consulting firm.

SUPERPOWER

Cotton’s journey from GOP rising star to prospective presidential candidate, conference chair and Intelligence Committee chair runs through Colas. Cotton is only 47 years old and has ambitions for higher office.

ROBERT DUNCAN

Secretary for the majority

CLAIM TO FAME

A Senate lifer, Duncan got his start 25 years ago at the NRSC under then-Chair Mitch McConnell. In 2004, he started working in the GOP cloakroom and never looked back. He rose to become the head of McConnell’s floor operations in 2020 and was retained by new Majority Leader John Thune.

SUPERPOWER

Duncan has a mastery of Senate’s rules as well as a deep understanding of the political dynamics of the Republican Conference. He will need to use those skills to help Thune push through President Donald Trump’s agenda.

NAZ DURAKOĞLU

Staff director,
Senate Foreign Relations
Committee Democrats

CLAIM TO FAME

Durakoğlu has bounced between the Hill and Foggy Bottom for the last 15 years. Durakoğlu just wrapped up a stint as legislative affairs chief at the State Department. She’s back on the Hill as Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) staff director on the Foreign Relations Committee.

SUPERPOWER

Few understand Congress’ role in crafting U.S. foreign policy better than Durakoğlu. Having worked in both the legislative and executive branches, she knows how to get the upper hand when asserting authority over the other.

DAN KUNSMAN

Staff director,
Senate Majority Whip
John Barrasso

CLAIM TO FAME

A native Wyomingite, Kunsman began working in the Senate in 1995 and has spent the last 15 years as chief of staff to Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). He’s now heading up the GOP whip’s office and has long been Barrasso’s closest adviser.

SUPERPOWER

Kunsman has more Senate seniority than most sitting senators, so he knows the place like the back of his hand. As the top aide to the Senate GOP whip, he’ll have a hand in everything that crosses the Senate floor.

ROBERT KAREM

Clerk,
Senate Appropriations,
Defense Subcommittee

CLAIM TO FAME

A longtime fixture in GOP national security circles, Karem heads up the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee under its new chairman, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

SUPERPOWER

McConnell has made clear foreign policy is his top priority — including pushing back on the Trump administration. Karem was a mastermind of McConnell’s push for new Ukraine aid last year. The two will have a ton of influence on defense spending in their new roles.

MIKE LYNCH

Chief of staff,
Senate Minority Leader
Chuck Schumer

CLAIM TO FAME

A Schumer “OG,” Lynch started working for the New York Democrat in the late 90s. He was Schumer’s state director and then his chief of staff before leaving for the National Democratic Institute. Lynch returned to the Hill in 2007 to be Schumer’s chief of staff.

SUPERPOWER

Lynch’s demeanor couldn’t be more different from Schumer’s. But Democratic senators tell us that’s what makes Lynch effective — he doesn’t let personalities or emotions get in the way.

ELIZABETH MACDONOUGH

Senate parliamentarian

CLAIM TO FAME

MacDonough is a longtime fixture in the Senate, having worked in the parliamentarian’s office since 1999 and rising to the top job in 2012. As the Senate’s nonpartisan rules guru, MacDonough works closely with the leadership of both parties to ensure compliance with the chamber’s often-complicated rules.

SUPERPOWER

MacDonough is known as a hard-nosed operator. The budget reconciliation process is a showcase in Senate procedure, and MacDonough has the final word on whether each provision complies with the rules.

BETSY MCDONNELL

Staff director,
Senate Appropriations Committee

CLAIM TO FAME

McDonnell has worked as an appropriations aide for Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) on and off for more than a decade. She also has experience beyond the spending panel. McDonnell served as staff director for the Senate Budget Committee under Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and had the top job at the Senate Aging Committee.

SUPERPOWER

McDonnell is well-known as a dealmaker in the Senate and has been involved in several bipartisan negotiations. This gives her some street cred with both parties.

CHRIS TOPPINGS

Senior policy adviser,
Senate Majority Leader
John Thune

CLAIM TO FAME

Toppings has worked for some of the Senate’s most prominent policy wonks since he started in the Senate in 2005, from Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) to Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). He is Thune’s top tax policy adviser and previously served under the South Dakotan in the whip’s office.

SUPERPOWER

Toppings is set to be at the center of trying to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts. He has the relationships and the know-how to help get it done.

ROBERT BOLAND

Chief of staff,
House Majority Whip
Tom Emmer

CLAIM TO FAME

The whip is the toughest job in the conference. And it’s up to Boland to manage the vast whip operation. Despite the griping from some in the conference, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer has a ton of upside and could easily be the top House Republican at some point in the next few years.

SUPERPOWER

Boland’s job is to know what makes House Republicans tick. And he has a huge team of whips to help him with that.

GIDEON BRAGIN

Executive director,
Office of the Democratic Leader

CLAIM TO FAME

Member management is not easy. It falls to Bragin to keep lawmakers informed about what the leadership is thinking – and help House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries understand where the caucus stands. Bragin often serves as a negotiator when House Democrats are involved in deals with the House GOP. It’s his job to represent the caucus’ interests.

SUPERPOWER

Bragin has great relationships across the House Democratic Caucus, which makes him a members’ staffer.

BRANDON CASEY

Democratic staff director,
House Ways and Means Committee

CLAIM TO FAME

There have been a lot of tax fights over the last few years, and Casey is a veteran of them all. He has been a guiding hand for Democrats for big COVID relief laws, the push to pass former President Joe Biden’s tax agenda and landing trade deals under the first Trump administration. Casey is the first Black staff director in the history of the Ways and Means Committee.

SUPERPOWER

Democrats’ biggest project over the next two years is fighting Republicans’ agenda. Casey is a seasoned staff director who will play a big role.

HAYDEN HAYNES

Chief of staff,
Speaker Mike Johnson

CLAIM TO FAME

Haynes vaulted into the House Republican leadership when his boss was picked from obscurity to be speaker. Johnson didn’t take the typical route of hiring a longtime leadership hand to be his chief of staff. He stuck with Haynes, a fellow Louisiana native. Haynes is an incredibly close adviser to the speaker and a deft manager of the House Republican Conference.

SUPERPOWER

Patience. Although he’s not a well-worn leadership hand, Haynes is patient and doesn’t get too high or too low.

CHRISTOPHER HIXON

Staff director,
House Judiciary
Committee Republicans

CLAIM TO FAME

Hixon is one of the key aides to House Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). He has been in the oversight world for nearly his entire career. He previously was on the House Oversight Committee under Chair Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee under Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

SUPERPOWER

Judiciary is the biggest power center in the House. Having deep experience in the oversight realm is a massive upper hand for Hixon.

BRETT HORTON

Chief of staff,
House Majority Leader
Steve Scalise

CLAIM TO FAME

No one in Washington is closer to House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. He has been with his fellow Louisianan for 15 years — almost unheard of on Capitol Hill. Horton was with Scalise during his rise through leadership and has stuck with him as he ascended to be the No. 2 Republican in the House.

SUPERPOWER

Horton has expertly managed the broad base of Scalise allies for more than a decade. He knows who likes who, who hates who and who needs work — at all times.

TASIA JACKSON

Chief of staff,
House Minority Leader
Hakeem Jeffries

CLAIM TO FAME

Powerful members of the House reward loyalty. And Jackson has been loyal. She has been with Hakeem Jeffries since he was a state lawmaker in Albany. Jackson is the first Black woman to serve as a chief of staff to a leader in either party – a massive glass ceiling shattered.

SUPERPOWER

Jeffries likes calm – it’s an intentional decision, in his view. Jackson is calm under pressure. It’s something that the New York Democrat appreciates.

JOEL MILLER

Chief counsel,
House Energy and
Commerce Committee

CLAIM TO FAME

Miller has worked in many parts of Washington, including Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, a major trade group and Microsoft’s LinkedIn. The House Energy and Commerce Committee will play a central role in finding enough spending cuts to satisfy conservatives, while not alienating moderates.

SUPERPOWER

Miller’s extensive experience in both industry and the executive branch gives him a leg up in understanding stakeholders’ concerns.

MARK ROMAN

Republican staff director,
House Ways and Means Committee

CLAIM TO FAME

Extending the expiring 2017 Trump tax cuts is Republicans’ biggest job this year. Roman is the key staffer for Ways and Means Committee Chair Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.). Roman was critical in running Smith’s campaign for the Ways and Means’ gavel and after the big win, he took over as the panel’s top aide.

SUPERPOWER

Roman has worked in the House for nearly two decades and knows it well. Having a read on what the unruly House Republican conference will accept is going to be essential to success.

SUSAN ROSS

House Appropriations
chief clerk and staff director

CLAIM TO FAME

Few people know the appropriations world better than Ross. She’s been on the Hill for more than 20 years, and spent much of that time on the spending panel. She had top roles on the Labor-HHS subcommittee when now-Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) led that panel. She took the top job on the full committee when he ascended to chair.

SUPERPOWER

Her expertise is unmatched and will be pivotal when it comes to the huge challenge of funding the government.

GARY ANDRES

Nominee to be assistant secretary
of health and human services

CLAIM TO FAME

Few people in Washington have the experience that Andres has. The PhD has served as staff director of the House Ways and Means, Budget and Energy and Commerce committees. Not to mention, he worked in the White House for George H.W. Bush.

SUPERPOWER

There are not many people who understand the details of health care policy like Andres. And with Robert F. Kennedy as secretary of HHS, he will need aides who know how Washington works.

JAMES BRAID

Director of the
White House Office of
Legislative Affairs

CLAIM TO FAME

President Donald Trump needs Congress. It’s up to James Braid to deliver. Braid is Trump’s Hill lobbyist. He is the middle man between the GOP leadership and the White House. The former aide to the House Freedom Caucus ruffled some feathers early on, but results are results. Both chambers passed budget resolutions and reconciliation is underway.

SUPERPOWER

Having worked on Capitol Hill, Braid knows the coalitions necessary to get bills into law.

KEN KIES

Nominee to be assistant secretary
of the treasury for tax policy

CLAIM TO FAME

Kies is the most well-known tax lobbyist in Washington. His history with tax policy stretches back to the Reagan days when he served as the chief Republican tax staffer for the Ways and Means Committee. Kies also worked at the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation in the 1990s. Most recently, he has been leading the Federal Policy Group.

SUPERPOWER

If you’re looking for experience, Kies has a long resume. He has strong relationships in tax world from his many years in the business.

KAROLINE LEAVITT

White House press secretary

CLAIM TO FAME

The White House Press Briefing Room is one of the most famous places in Washington – and it’s Leavitt’s domain. Leavitt has blown up the White House Correspondents’ Association, shaking up one of the oldest power structures in Washington. We’ll see how that works out for President Donald Trump. Leavitt views her role as being supplemental to Trump, who does plenty of speaking on his own.

SUPERPOWER

Trump wants a press secretary to tussle with the press corps – and tussle Leavitt does.

STEPHEN MILLER

White House deputy chief of staff
for policy and homeland security adviser

CLAIM TO FAME

Seasoned Punchbowl News readers will remember Miller as a Hill aide with a penchant for haranguing reporters about immigration policy. Those emails took him a long way. He is the most powerful White House aide in recent memory – save Elon Musk.

SUPERPOWER

If anyone is the keeper of President Donald Trump’s creed, it’s Miller. Lawmakers don’t view him as a White House aide. They view him as a principal. And that matters.

ELON MUSK

Special government employee

CLAIM TO FAME

Musk is the world’s richest man and now one of its most controversial figures. He got fully behind President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. His reward was being given authority to go after the federal bureaucracy. Musk came up with the idea for the Department of Government Efficiency and is its driving force.

SUPERPOWER

Being the world’s richest man with little worry about stepping on toes combined with having the president’s full confidence makes him a historically potent force in Washington.

DAVID SACKS

White House AI and crypto czar

CLAIM TO FAME

Sacks is one of Silicon Valley’s elite venture capitalists. He’s in position to hold tremendous influence over two of the biggest tech policy issues facing the country: artificial intelligence and crypto currencies.

SUPERPOWER

As a “czar,” Sacks gets to work on policy without having to spend his time managing a large agency. He also has the kinds of relationships inside and outside of government that will help him navigate potentially rocky terrain. Sacks and Elon Musk go back a long way, for instance.

 

RUSS VOUGHT

Director of the
Office of Management and Budget

CLAIM TO FAME

Vought has taken center stage in implementing the Trump agenda with a focus on the long-term goals of the conservative movement and the newer fixations of the MAGA universe. That includes shrinking the government and ending programs considered “woke.” He served in the first Trump administration and spent the next four years coming up with a policy agenda.

SUPERPOWER

Vought combines the fervor of an ideologue with the skills of a technocrat. That produces, for good or bad, results.

MICHAEL WALTZ

White House national security adviser

CLAIM TO FAME

First elected to the House in 2018, Waltz made a name for himself during and after the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, where he served as a Green Beret. The media-friendly Waltz quickly endeared himself to President Donald Trump and became a leading voice on national security in Congress.

SUPERPOWER

In this era of major GOP foreign policy divisions, Waltz is seen as someone who can bridge the divide between the more traditional hawkish Republicans and the “America First” crowd.

SUSIE WILES

Chief of staff,
President Donald Trump

CLAIM TO FAME

The “Ice Queen,” as President Donald Trump calls her, is a longtime fixture in GOP politics. She ran Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-Fla.) gubernatorial campaign and had a stint with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. This is the pinnacle of her power. She is the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.

SUPERPOWER

Everyone who interacts with Wiles says she is disciplined and even. And she understands how to manage Trump. Have you noticed fewer back-stabbing Trump stories recently? Us too.