Jackie Barber was sworn in as the 35th secretary of the United States Senate on January 3, 2025. Barber previously served as staff director for the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration for Senator Deb Fischer. She also served as Chief Counsel for the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry for Senator John Boozman; Chief Counsel and Deputy Staff Director for the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration for Senator Roy Blunt; and Chief Counsel to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, also for Senator Roy Blunt. Prior to her service in the Senate, Barber served as counsel to the Chairman at the House Ethics Committee and Chief Counsel to the House Committee on Agriculture, both for Congressman K. Michael Conaway. She has also worked on campaigns and practiced election law at a national party committee.
Barber has first-hand understanding of operations and legislative process in both chambers of Congress, along with a perspective on substantive and legislative issues ranging from congressional elections to ethics rules to developing and building support for legislation to congressional oversight. She has been part of teams that have successfully navigated institutional challenges and achieved the passage of bipartisan legislation, including the operation of the Senate during a pandemic, the planning and execution of the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies, the passage of the 2018 farm bill, and the passage of the Electoral Count Reform Act.
Originally from Onida, SD, Barber holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration (double major in chemistry) from the University of South Dakota and a juris doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law. She is a member of the bar in South Dakota and District of Columbia.
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