Future-Proofing Congress: Fund the Leg. Branch and Eat Your Greens
Nourishing Congress when resources matter most
Quick check-in: are you getting a chance to eat lunch these days? I remember often during busy periods — such as appropriations season — that 4 PM would roll around and I’d realize that I’d only had three cups of coffee, a granola bar, and a cookie (thanks to an office birthday party). It’s a vicious cycle: a demanding schedule makes good nutrition more important, but it's often the first thing to go when things get crazy.
The same can be said for funding the Legislative branch.
Of all the appropriations requests that have come across your desk, how many were for the Legislative branch? And even if you did receive a few, how many would be easy to explain to constituents back home? It’s always been a tall order to make the case for Congress to spend money on itself, but it's needed now more than ever. Adequately funding Congressional operations ensures that Members are equipped to perform their functions effectively — driving the nation’s policy agenda, conducting oversight, and ensuring the checks and balances in our government. Our Legislature needs the energy to assert itself (and a granola bar and cookie ain’t gonna cut it).
There are a lot of good ideas out there, including but not limited to:
Our recommendations for a House Casework Support Office, a study on remote voting to ensure continuity of operations in an emergency, and the development of institution-hosted AI training,
Bipartisan Policy Center's request to continue funding for the House Modernization Initiatives Account, and
Data Foundation’s call for the creation of a Leg. branch Chief Data Officer.
Many of these were highlighted during the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee’s Public Witness Day. Before you dig in, go grab some good food (an actual meal!) and make sure to take care of yourself, too. As always, we’re here to cheer you on and support you. Please never hesitate to send an email my way.
Also in this month’s newsletter:
Technology solutions for policy changes
Hi networking, meet professional development
Congress’ next tech pipeline
Agency backlog realities: inside the VA OCLA
Warmly,
Aubrey Wilson
Director of Government Innovation
POPVOX Foundation
Technology Solutions for Policy Changes
Innovative technology tools are helping bridge policy gaps both domestically and internationally. On April 28, we will be on the Hill to explore a few of these, including:
The Bertelsmann Foundation’s Range Platform, which helps policymakers look to the future with predictive modeling and public-sourced policy forecasting
The Serious Games initiative, formerly housed at the Wilson Center, was the first of its kind public-policy-to-videogame design team
GoVocal, which is redefining how cities engage with citizens to inform public investment and city planning
An online citizen network connecting EU officials with youth in new ways.
These just scratch the surface of how tech can be designed to bridge communication silos between policymakers and constituents. And we at POPVOX Foundation will preview a new tool created with junior staffers in mind, for those able to join us.
Hi Networking, Meet Professional Development
Meeting other staffers across the House and Senate who are in similar positions or who could become your mentor is a challenge. Staff associations are a great networking opportunity and this Congress, many are active. The Modernization Staff Association, in particular, is kicking off a series this spring of professional development focused roundtables geared toward staff assistants, district junior staff, and LCs. If these don’t appeal to you, no worries — there is also a happy hour tonight!
Congress’ Next Tech Pipeline
Earlier this month, Danielle and I took advantage of the opportunity to talk to over 400 sixth through twelfth grade app designers by tabling at the Congressional App Competition’s #HouseOfCode Inspiration Fair. We had an incredible experience, and it can’t be more obvious: these innovative students should be the pipeline for Congress’ next generation of tech-savvy staffers. If your office participated by hosting a student app developer, consider ways to keep them informed of your internship programs.
Agency Backlog Realities: Inside the VA OCLA
When policy implementation fails on the ground, the first signals are often sent to Congress in the form of casework. When those flags raise awareness of concerning and recurring trends, solutions to those problems are often pursued in multiple ways at once: a policy solution is explored through a legislative track, and the Congressional casework team continues advocating the constituents’ needs through an agency’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA). This month, a former senior Congressional liaison of the Veterans Affairs OCLA joined POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker to share his insights from decades of being at the forefront of handling thousands of Congressional casework requests. In an era of seeking out areas for improved government efficiency and operations, this conversation is worth a listen.
International “Fix” - Inspiration from Parliaments Around the World
For those of you who have been on the Hill long enough to be aware of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) debate or if you find yourself turning to CRS and GAO more often for research on emerging technologies, Germany’s Bundestag has some institutional inspiration for the US Congress. The Office of Technology Assessment (TAB) for the Bundestag has mastered the art of nonpartisan technological advice, inspired a bestselling novel, and remains a trusted resource for the parliament. ModParl’s Dr. Beatriz Rey got a first-hand look at the team last month.
For more news from international legislatures, subscribe to our Modern Parliament (“ModParl”) newsletter.
Stay in the Game
It’s spring outside! Whether you are lucky enough to sit by a window or not, having something green in your workspace goes a long way to boosting your mood and productivity. So, treat yourself this month by investing in a new and low maintenance work plant. Our top picks for low-light, office-friendly plants to explore are: Pothos, English Ivy, and Monstera Deliciosa. Home Depot often has these in stock but if you’re based on the Hill and want a fun lunch walk, check out REWILD in Eastern Market.
Have a favorite self-care tip you’d like to share? Email us!
Shout Outs & Events
The Foundation for American Innovation (FAI) is hosting a Future of Think Tanks hackathon on May 5. The event description and poster are enough to get any Congressional nerd excited.
Worth the twelve minutes: Shoutout to AEI for the best video I’ve seen on Congress in a long time.
Looking for a boost in your office responsibilities? Consider becoming your office’s OWL, or Office Whistleblower Liaison. It’s a vital role to support constituents who reach out as whistleblowers.
Congratulations are in order for the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation Chairwoman Stephanie Bice [R-OK] and Full Committee Ranking Member Joe Morelle [D-NY] on helping Congress get one step closer to removing outdated — and expensive! — printing requirements.
Hot off the press is new research on how constituent services would work in multi-Member districts. POPVOX Foundation Deputy Director Anne Meeker teamed up with New America Senior Fellow Lee Drutman and Protect Democracy to hone in on four key takeaways to ensure that constituent-focused interactions don’t get left behind in discussions about broader structural reforms.
Looking for your next nonfiction read? Make sure to add Congress Investigates: George Washington to January 6, a new book by the late Elise Bean, former director of the Levin Center, and Kyle Bule.
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies has released its final update on the racial diversity of Congressional top staff hires in the 119th.
What about implementation? Before your bill is signed into law, it’s worth exploring these best practices.
The Senate Sergeant at Arms is looking for a Director of Communications. The application closes on April 21.
The Future is Now
Staff across the House and Senate are starting to use AI more regularly to address bandwidth issues and keep pace with the Executive branch.
AI’s use in the workplace is continuing to gain traction across nearly every industry. At the American Bar Association (ABA) conference in Chicago earlier this month, judges made the case that lawyers need to hop on the bandwagon or be left behind.
Calling all data lovers in Congress, have you seen the Hamilton Project’s new tool that tracks federal expenditures in real time?
What happens when supercomputers can crack encryptions? This WIRED article tackles the unknowns and the threat of “Q-Day.”
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps democratic institutions keep pace with a rapidly changing world. Through publications, events, prototypes and technical assistance, the organization helps public servants and elected officials better serve their constituents and make better policy.
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