For more than 35 years, Rochelle Dornatt was enmeshed in nearly every aspect of lawmaking as a legislative assistant, researcher, floor assistant, and chief of staff on Capitol Hill. Dornatt’s vast experience on the Hill provides a unique vantage point to explore the inner workings of Congress. In this oral history, she reflects on her long career in the U.S. House of Representatives and the changing role of women in American politics during her time in Washington, DC. Dornatt spent most of her career working in Member offices, including 24 years as chief of staff for California Congressman Sam Farr from 1993 to 2017. In this interview, she describes her diverse responsibilities as a congressional staff member, including constituent service, legislative work, campaign organizing, and office management. As research director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 1986 midterm elections, Dornatt provides a first-hand account of the rise of opposition research in congressional politics. She also discusses her experiences corralling votes as floor assistant to House Majority Whip Tony Coelho of California in the late 1980s. Throughout, Dornatt emphasizes the ways women on Capitol Hill faced formidable obstacles in their pursuit of new opportunities and equal treatment in the workplace.