What I Saw on the Hill: Rediscovering Patriotism as a Senate Page 

BY HOLDEN DEMAIN

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This past fall, I joined twenty-eight other high school juniors from around the country to spend a semester serving as a United States Senate Page. It turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. We woke up at 5:00 AM each day, went to school for four hours in the basement of our dorm building, and then headed out for a full day of work in the Senate. 

The United States Senate Page Program dates back to Daniel Webster’s appointment of the first Page in 1829. The program has evolved since then, but it still consists of teenagers preparing the Senate chamber for sessions, delivering legislative correspondence around the Capitol and Senate office buildings, and providing various forms of support to Senators during sessions. We fill cups of water, hold doors, and pass notes to United States Senators. The work might not be glamorous in and of itself but being present on the Senate floor gave us a unique glimpse into how the upper chamber of our democratic government really functions. 

Yet today, most people do not find this as impressive as they once did. We are living in a time when political discourse is characterized by a pervasive lack of faith in our governmental institutions. According to Pew, only 22 percent of Americans trust the government to “do what is right,” a historic low since this research began to be conducted. Perhaps even more ominous, in 2014, almost a third of American voters viewed the other party as a “threat to the nation’s well-being.” That number is expected to increase dramatically once the 2024 Pew numbers are released.

Furthermore, many Americans perceive an increasing politicization of criminal prosecutions, presidential pardons, and the judicial branch as a whole. This has been a cause for fear, and they worry that our country cannot withstand these partisan battles over the nature of our democratic institutions. Many Americans are afraid that American democracy could fall apart, and they question whether we can make it through these troubled times.

When I arrived on Capitol Hill, I was filled with naivete and excitement, like dewy-eyed Jefferson Smith from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (a fantastic movie that I strongly recommend for those seeking to understand our political institutions). I loved the idea of politics and was giddy at the chance to see our polity operate. The Senate wasn’t exactly what it is in the movies, and though my expectations didn’t necessarily fit reality, I was inspired by what I saw there. Being a Page actually imbued me with a deep conviction in the future of our democracy. 

Most people don’t see everything that happens on the Hill. Sitting on the rostrum on the Senate floor, however, I had the privilege of listening to our nation’s leaders talk to each other informally about everything from renting apartments in DC, the latest TV shows they were watching, their top restaurant recommendations, even which tie knots are best. Senators step across the aisle, both literally and figuratively, to chat and strengthen friendships with their colleagues on the other side. These personal connections aren’t portrayed in the media, but the Pages notice them, and we appreciate their significance.

I was also struck by how much the Senators and their staff actually knew about the issues under discussion. Even though I disagreed with many of the speeches given, almost all of the speeches were based on facts and conveyed informed opinions. Whether a senator was arguing for or against a specific bill, they spoke eloquently and persuasively, with respect and understanding of the other side. This kind of intelligent debate is what makes the Senate the “world’s greatest deliberative body,” and people should pay attention to the fact that such debate still occurs. 

Prior to serving as a Page, I didn’t understand how power was distributed in the federal government. I still don’t completely understand it, but it isn’t because governmental power is an inscrutable mystery that only a select few oligarchs can master. Rather, it’s because the United States government is a complicated beehive where each bee plays a specific, narrow role. There is no “secret cabal” running our government, simply because it would be too complicated to facilitate such a thing. For me, it was reassuring to realize that no one person, even the President, makes all the decisions for the American people. This distributed power is what the founders intended.

Today, there are copious complaints and criticisms levied against our democracy. Less prevalent are optimistic, hopeful defenses of the state of our Union. I believe that much of the fear and apprehension that surrounds American democracy today is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The more clamor there exists about the state of American democratic life, the more fragile it seems. The solution to the problem begins with us.

The first step is for the American populace to pay attention to the constructive deliberation within the Senate rather than its most partisan moments. As Pages, we watched the passing of hundreds of bills by unanimous consent, a far more common occurrence than a partisan vote. Every Senator understands the gravity of the office which they are blessed with, and all of them are serious about improving the lives of their constituents. They all share a deep-seated sense of patriotism. We asked Senators Britt and Booker what all the Senators have in common. (I mean, there are 330 million Americans, but only 100 Senators. What separates them from the pack?) Both Senators, who are entrenched on opposite sides of the aisle, agreed that every one of the 100 shares a love of country. This was modeled by Booker and Britt—two Senators who worked so hard and gave such passionate speeches about the issues that mattered to them, but could also come together for the American people at the end of the day. 

Next, we need to develop an appropriate American Studies curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school that, while acknowledging and reckoning with the complexity of our history, shows how profoundly and uniquely great American history has been. The Senate Page School taught me that the United States isn’t perfect, but that we should love our country enough to be willing to work for change. In my study of American history, reading countless biographies, watching many documentaries, and of course, taking AP United States History, I’ve been amazed by what this country has been able to overcome. I’m amazed that America was able to agree on a revolutionary form of government for its citizens, fight a war that threatened to tear the country apart and emerge morally victorious, and defeat the greatest evils around the world. Our democracy has given us lightbulbs, the internet, baseball, and so much more. It takes commitment and work from all of us to continue our shared American story. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we must retain our compassion and respect for dissension. Alexis de Tocqueville, in his Democracy in America, warned against polarization. He implored Americans not to mischaracterize the views of others and not to become too emotionally invested in our leaders that we lose our “reasoned and tranquil sentiment.”

What I saw in the Senate, though it may not look like it from the outside, was a bastion of bipartisanship. As a former Senate Page, I feel a renewed responsibility to carry the lessons I learned into family debates over dinner, conversations with friends, and in all spheres of political dialogue and education. I hope as a country, we extend this spirit of unity, kindness, and mutual respect that I saw in the Senate to all our fellow Americans, on both sides of the aisle.