Hack4Congress

The biggest thing people should know about #Hack4Congress is that the problems holding back Congress from being more efficient, effective and open with tech are real and frustrating as heck...but solvable and there are good people inside Congress AND outside like me and you who are working on them. Just look at the problems being posted by people like Senator John Thune or Congressman Jared Polis from Colorado: overhauling how Congressional hearings work with modern techonlogy so that citizens can engage and participate remotely and not have to show up in D.C. and take days off of work, or making Congressional websites more accessible, understandable and user-friendly with modern design. These are problems that are slowing down our democracy and preventing citizens from really understanding what Congress is doing and how their elected officials represent them.

I spent 4 years working on these issues in Congress, and now two at The OpenGov Foundation It’s hard, but when people come together from inside AND outside government, we can really hack Congress for the better.

Seamus K

Senator Booker, this is a terrific start towards making the Senate more open, more modern and efficient. The recommendations in here would add up to a sea change for the Senate were they to be adopted. A couple of immediate thoughts: have you started getting other Senators behind this? We found in the House, to transform its legislative data from paper-based formats to the awesome place we are today, a large coalition of bipartisan support is crucial. (There are some other Dem and GOP Senators involved with #Hack4Congress I suspect could be interested in working with you...Thune and Cornyn come to immediate mind.) Another thought: can you hold hearings on this issue? Beyond building a team of other Senators behind these modernization efforts, drawing public and press scrutiny on the scope of the challenges posed in your letter would be of enormous help. More on your second question in a moment. Thank you for getting engaged and for your leadership! - Seamus K

Many Members of Congress are as frustrated by the broken process as the public-at-large; they see the infrastructure limitations up close everyday. Especially for those who’ve been recently elected, stepping into Congress can be like stepping backwards in time, as many of the processes are still based on out-of-date technology and assumptions. Regardless of your political ideology, this fundamental disconnect with modern society is a significant drag on Congressional effectiveness. - Matt

Thank you for your participation, Congressman Polis! We would like to see #Hack4Congress develop into national movement. How would you feel about helping us plan a #Hack4Congress event in Denver? Denver is one of America's largest tech hubs, so we need to get the word out to all those hackers that there are countless opportunities to make an impact hacking Congress. -Ted

Which challenge is the most important to you? -Ted Edit: fixed link