October 19, 2005
Contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093

(Washington, DC) With a desire to serve on Capitol Hill as a Senate page, but with a father in the military and living on a U.S. Army in Germany, 16-year-old Katie Rember was in a dilemma. Which Senator could she ask?

Since only there are only 30 of the temporary Senate positions available at one time, the selection process is tight and not every member of the Senate has enough seniority to nominate students for the much sought after jobs.

But after reading a story in the military publication "Stars and Stripes" about a trip U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, Idaho's two congressmen, and VA Secretary Jim Nicholson made to visit wounded servicemen and women in Landstuhl, Germany, Katie decided to apply with Senator Craig.

Idaho's senior senator, who serves as Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, had conducted that trip as part of his efforts to improve the seamless transition from active duty service to veteran status.

"Sen. Craig and the Idaho delegation really impressed me with their care for our troops. I'm really honored to have him as my sponsor. It's a great experience," Katie said. Shortly before she landed the page position, her father, an Air Force officer, was transferred from Germany to the Pentagon. "It's nice to have my family so close."

Pages are sponsored by a Senator for one semester of a school year, or a summer session. They serve primarily as messengers, carrying documents between the Senate Floor, Member's offices, and committees. They can be seen sometimes on C-SPAN2 sporting their navy blue suits, white shirts, and black shoes. Pages are juniors in high school and must be 16 or 17 years old when they are appointed to the temporary job.

There are 30 pages at a time that serve the Senate, 18 of whom serve the majority Republicans and 12 who serve the minority Democrats. While working on Capitol Hill, the students also attend early morning classes at the Senate Page School which is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

"The teachers are well rounded, caring and fantastic, and it's just a wonderful opportunity," Katie said.

U.S. Senator Daniel Webster appointed the first Senate page in 1829, but it was not until 1971 that the first women were appointed as pages.

"We're proud to have Katie as part of the contingent of highly capable young people who serve all of us so well," said Sen. Larry Craig.

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