The first 3 digits of my cell phone are not 224, 225 or 226. Does this mean I am not important? Yes, and also that I do not have a cell phone.

Excerpts from The Hill on

Hill staffers sorry to say goodbye to cell phones

For many Capitol Hill staffers it may be more devastating to relinquish your government-issued cell phone or BlackBerry than it was to see your member lose his or her reelection bid this past November.

“It is an essential tool in doing your work,” said Matt Angle, chief of staff to Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas). Frost lost his bid to serve a 14th term in Congress to fellow incumbent Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas).

It is within each member’s discretion to decide who on their staff receives a government-issued cell phone and/or BlackBerry. In most cases, members issue these extra amenities to senior staff, press office workers and, obviously, themselves.

“It’s kind of like the American Express card,” [a congressional chief of] said. “It definitely says you work on the Hill, and it kind of legitimizes things. A ‘225’ number says someone important is calling me.” The first three digits of most cell phone numbers on the House side are 225 or 226, while most Senate cell-phone numbers begin with 224.

The same restrictions that apply to land-line phones in Capitol offices also apply to these government-issued cell phones. Just as staffers are not allowed to make a fundraising call from members offices, they are also prohibited from making fundraising calls from House-issued cell phones.