In an Era of Hyperpartisanship, Modernization is a Bright Spot

Late last month, the House Administration Committee held a markup on four proposals advanced by the Subcommittee on Modernization aimed at strengthening congressional capacity to better serve and reach constituents. During the markup, modernization efforts received strong bipartisan praise from both Chair Brian Steil (R-WI) and Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-NY). The movement inside the halls of Congress to modernize and foster a more efficient, effective, and representative U.S. House of Representatives continues to remain a model of bipartisanship and stewardship in a time when the House seems gripped by extremism and dysfunction. 

At the urging of Issue One, the 116th Congress established the former Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (hereafter, the select committee) in an effort to deliberate recommendations to modernize and get the house in order. The committee was widely praised for proposing pragmatic solutions to the numerous issues hindering Congress from fulfilling its Article I responsibilities. These solutions were a testament to the strong bipartisan approach by champions such as Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), who currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Modernization, and Rep. William Timmons (R-SC), as well as the hardwork and commitment of everyone associated with its efforts. 

During its time, the select committee advanced over 200 bipartisan recommendations to improve Congress — of which over 100 were fully or partially implemented. In addition, it influenced and shaped the purpose of the newly established Subcommittee on Modernization, currently led by Chairwoman Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Ranking Member Kilmer.

The bipartisan and collaborative spirit of congressional modernization is a success story for the institution. Examples such as last week’s markup highlight why congressional modernization fosters hope for good governance and democracy. Some of the marked up proposals include: 

• Enhancing the Congressional Research Service by granting the agency access to crucial federal data; 

• Allocating funds to committees via the House Committee Internship Program; 

• And updating the member handbook to enable members to co-host and co-sponsor constituent events within their congressional districts. 

These proposals are the result of the standing committee acting on the recommendations from the select committee.

Public opinion polling continues to show persistent low levels of confidence in Congress, but also a continued desire to see more collaboration and good faith from those elected to positions of influence. Congressional modernization does exactly that by transforming and strengthening the institution, and creating the conditions to grow confidence in Congress and democracy. Issue One has persistently advocated for commonsense efforts to build a more modern and capable Congress. For instance, I recently submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Committee arguing in support of retaining the Modernization Initiatives Account. This specific funding allocation is crucial for implementing reforms within the House and serves as a key resource for institutional reform.

Last week’s markup leaves me optimistic. There was a willingness to build bridges, an appetite for good governance, and an enthusiasm for Congress to work better. I witnessed a strong recognition on the Hill that investing in and modernizing Congress is key to strengthening and bolstering democracy as we know it.

As Ranking Member Kilmer wittily stated: "Try to keep Congress from doing dumb stuff, and enable Congress to do more smart stuff." It’s sweet and simple: Democracy wins when there is better and healthier governance.