Modernizing Congress Archives

GAO Saved Taxpayers $66 Billion Last Year

November 16, 2021 | Dan Lips

But Congress’s watchdog has the potential to do more to make government work better The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its annual Performance and Accountability report this week. The Comptroller General reported that the Congressional Watchdog agency’s work resulted in “about $66.2 billion in financial benefits—a return of about $93 for every dollar invested in

October 6, 2021 | Reynold Schweickhardt

Click here to download a PDF version of the paper. In 2021, the political parties on Capitol Hill have found little common ground. Yet they do agree on at least one key point: Congress needs to work better. Few congressional responsibilities are more vital than lawmakers’ interactions with their constituents. Constituents provide significant input in

September 29, 2021 | Dan Lips

The Hassan-Ernst bill would rescind $1.5 billion from a fund Congress terminated decades ago While Congress is focused on the debt limit and trillion-dollar spending packages, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) continues to highlight opportunities for lawmakers and federal agencies to save “tens of billions” implementing the nonpartisan watchdog’s recommendations for reforming the government. And

September 29, 2021 | Zach Graves

Written Testimony of Zach Graves Before the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress Click here to download the full PDF with footnotes. Note: The original date for this hearing was postponed and is currently expected to be rescheduled in the coming weeks. Chair Kilmer, Vice Chair Timmons, and members of the Committee: Thank you

August 3, 2021 | Dan Lips

The House of Representatives passed the Legislative Branch funding bill last week–increasing funding for Congress, the Capitol Police, and related agencies by nearly 14 percent over last year’s budget. For fiscal conservatives concerned about the ballooning federal debt, this is one area of the budget where we should be cheering for more funding than less.

July 22, 2021 | Zach Graves

Click here to view a PDF of the letter. Hon. Richard Shelby, Vice ChairU.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Hon. Mike Braun, Ranking MemberSubcommittee on the Legislative BranchU.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Re: Strengthening Article I with Policy and Oversight Capacity Dear Vice Chair Shelby and Ranking Member Braun, We the undersigned right-of-center organizations and individuals

June 24, 2021 | Zach Graves

Today at noon the House Appropriations Committee’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee will mark up its funding bill for fiscal year 2022. This legislation constitutes a big leap towards addressing the devastating decline Members of Congress have inflicted upon the Legislative Branch over the past quarter century, including a nearly 40 percent staffing reduction at committees and

May 17, 2021 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter 30 organizations and 11 congressional experts sent a bipartisan letter to House appropriators today calling to restore funding levels for congressional personal office and committee staff, amounting to double-digit percentage increases. The bipartisan letter was organized by the progressive organization Demand Progress and the conservative organization Lincoln

May 13, 2021 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a PDF of the letter Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and Members of the Subcommittee: My name is Dan Lips. I am the Director of National Security and Government Oversight with the Lincoln Network. I respectfully urge the subcommittee to fully fund the Comptroller General’s FY2020 budget request of $744.3

April 15, 2021 | Zach Graves

This post was co-authored by Zach Graves and Dan Lips. The FY2022 appropriations process is underway. While it represents a small fraction of overall spending, one of the most important challenges on Congress’s agenda is meeting the funding needs for the Legislative Branch, and providing resources for key support agencies like the Government Accountability Office

March 26, 2021 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter Chairman Kilmer, Vice Chairman Timmons, and esteemed members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My organization, Lincoln Network, works to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley and DC. This work entails building up and future-proofing our institutions with the capacity they need

February 26, 2021 | Zach Graves

Dear Honorable Majority Leader Schumer, Honorable Minority Leader McConnell, Honorable Chairwoman Klobuchar, and Honorable Ranking Member Blunt: The COVID-19 pandemic, growing economic hardship for many American families, a national reckoning over racial injustice, and the January 6 siege of the Capitol have strained our democracy, underscoring the need for a strong, well-prepared Congress. While democratic

February 17, 2021 | Zach Graves

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Schumer, House Republican Leader McCarthy, and Senate Republican Leader McConnell: We write in firm opposition to the proposed enclosure of the U.S. Capitol with permanent security fencing. The Capitol and surrounding buildings must remain open to all engaged in the business of our democracy. Congress should be the shining

February 8, 2021 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter Dear Chair DeLauro, Chair Leahy, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice-Chair Shelby: On behalf of the undersigned individuals, civil society organizations, and industry groups, we urge you to increase the share of discretionary funding available for the Legislative branch both to address the historically diminished resources available

February 8, 2021 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a PDF of the letter Dear Leader Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, and Leader McCarthy: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, members of the Power of the Purse Coalition, we write requesting your support for advancing a number of initiatives in the 117th Congress to strengthen the legislative branch’s constitutional authority

January 28, 2021 | Zach Graves

The shuttering of the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) in 1996, along with contemporaneous cuts to Congress’s policy capacity, created a deep institutional gap in the formation of science and technology (S&T) policy in the United States. A quarter century later, in the wake of a middling response to the COVID-19 pandemic, eroding military superiority,

Why GAO is Congress’s Best Investment

December 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

A new report examines the Congressional watchdog’s return-on-investment Facing a December 11 deadline to fund the federal government, Congress must finalize its annual spending bills or punt those negotiations into the new year. As lawmakers negotiate on Capitol Hill, taxpayers should keep an eye on one small line item in the federal budget. Last year,

October 23, 2020 | Dan Lips

GAO’s Work Has Yielded $1.1 Trillion in Taxpayer Savings Since 1999. But Congress Can Do More to Leverage Them. The United States faces growing governance and fiscal challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the federal government’s limited ability to manage a national crisis. The Congressional Budget Office warns that the national debt will eclipse GDP

September 28, 2020 | Dan Lips

As the November election fast approaches, the 116th Congress is coming to an end. Big changes may soon occur on Capitol Hill including a potential Democratic takeover of the Senate. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are now speculating about ways to strengthen the upper chamber. Democrats Considering Ending the Legislative Filibuster Prominent Democrats,

August 7, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. The Honorable Richard Shelby Chair, Committee on Appropriations United States Senate The Honorable Patrick Leahy Ranking Member, Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Dear Chairman Shelby and Ranking Member Leahy: We write to respectfully request that video of Senate Appropriations Committee legislative mark-ups be broadcast online

July 31, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. The Honorable Tim Ryan H-306, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Jamie Herrera Beutler 2352 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Dear Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and Members of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Committee: We write in deep appreciation of your efforts to

July 17, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to download a PDF of the letter. Hon. Zoe Lofgren, Chair Hon. Rodney Davis, Ranking Member Committee on House Administration Committee on House Administration U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Re: Hearing Entitled “Exploring the Feasibility and Security of Technology to Conduct Remote Voting in the House” Dear Chair Lofgren, Ranking

Rebuilding Congress’ Policy Capacity

July 11, 2020 | Zach Graves

Click here to read the full article discussing efforts to modernize Congress. Earlier this month, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress held a hearing on improving staffing capacity and policy expertise in Congress. A major theme of this discussion was the historical loss of congressional staff capacity, and how to address it. To reverse this

June 22, 2020 | Zach Graves

40+ Organizations Ask Appropriators to Shift Funding from the Executive Branch to the Legislative Branch The following letter can be downloaded here The Honorable Nita Lowy Chair Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House of Representatives The Honorable Richard ShelbyChair Committee on Appropriations United States Senate The Honorable Kay Granger Ranking Member Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House

June 10, 2020 | Zach Graves

The following letter can be downloaded here June 10, 2020 The Honorable James E. Risch U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee United States Senate 423 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-6225 Re: Committee Proceedings Should Be Open and Transparent Dear Chairman Risch: We, the undersigned transparency and accountability organizations, write to express our deep concerns regarding a

May 7, 2020 | Zach Graves

The following testimony was delivered on May 1, 2020. Dear Chairman Hyde-Smith, Ranking Member Murphy, and members of the committee: Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. Over the past two years, there has been considerable interest and new research surrounding the question of how to enhance science and technology capacity in the legislative branch,

May 1, 2020 | Alexiaa Jordan

“Out of 3,500 congressional staff, less than 20 have any technical background. Decent governance in the 21st century REQUIRES talented technologists to serve in government. ” — Travis Moore, Founder and Director of TechCongress Now, TechCongress has launched a new Congressional Digital Service Fellowship for experienced technologists. Here’s what they’re looking for: Commitment to helping

April 30, 2020 | Marshall Kosloff

Marshall Kosloff, Director of Outreach and Media for Lincoln Network, moderated a virtual panel featuring the following distinguished guests, Eli Dourado, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Growth and Opportunity. Marci Harris, CEO, and Co-Founder of PopVoxMark Lutter, Founder and Executive Director of the Charter Cities Institute The event was inspired by Marc Andreessen,

April 24, 2020 | Dan Lips

The following testimony was delivered on April 24, 2020 Chairman Hyde-Smith, Ranking Member Murphy, and Members of the Subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to testify. My name is Dan Lips. I am the Director of Cyber and National Security with the Lincoln Network, a non-profit organization that serves as a bridge between Silicon Valley,

April 21, 2020 | Zach Graves

Former members of Congress participated in a “Mock Remote Hearing” exercise to test the viability of online proceedings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was co-chaired by Former Rep. Brian Baird [D, WA] and Former Rep. Bob Inglis [R, SC] and co-hosted by AEI, The Brookings Institution, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation, Georgetown University,

April 16, 2020 | Garrett Johnson

Exploding demand for government assistance at nearly every level has strained many old technology systems to the point of crashing, causing millions of Americans nightmares. Any startup would dream of the hockey-stick traffic spikes experienced by state unemployment pages or by the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) since mid-March, but the current crisis provides another

April 15, 2020 | Zach Graves

The Lincoln Network alongside a bipartisan coalition of 20 organizations sent the Speaker of the House a letter commending the allowance for legislators to submit remarks digitally amidst COVID-19. Dear: Speaker Pelosi, We are writing to commend the announcement and swift action taken by the Committee on House Administration, the Rules Committee, the House Parliamentarian,

April 7, 2020 | Dan Lips

By Maggi Molina and Dan Lips Congress faces major challenges in 2020—including the Coronavirus pandemic and addressing its significant disruptions to our way of life. With the Congressional Budget Office already forecasting trillion dollar federal deficits through 2030, lawmakers may have less flexibility to authorize new spending to address these problems. One way for Congress

January 28, 2020 | Zach Graves

Lincoln Network joined a bipartisan coalition in support of H. Res. 756, the “Moving Our Democracy and Congressional Operations Towards Modernization (MODCOM) Resolution of 2019.” The letter argues: We urge your support for the Moving Our Democracy and Congressional Operations Towards Modernization (MODCOM) Resolution of 2019, H. Res. 756. This resolution advances nearly 30 bipartisan

November 26, 2019 | Garrett Johnson

Increasing science and technology advice would be an important first step Technological advancements are rapidly changing the American economy and workforce. At the same time, lawmakers increasingly appear to lack the capability to understand and respond effectively to this transformation. Flip phone-wielding lawmakers may have been cutting edge in the 1990s, but not in today’s Congress, which routinely grapples

July 20, 2019 | Zach Graves

Lincoln joined a bipartisan coalition letter urging new Congressional Budget Office director Dr. Phillip Swagel to improve CBO’s information publication practices and transparency. Other signatories include Demand Progress, Americans for Prosperity, Campaign for Liberty, TechFreedom, FreedomWorks, and others.

July 20, 2019 | Zach Graves

Lincoln joined a bipartisan coalition letter organized by Demand Progress in support of the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (ACMRA) sponsored by Sens. Rob Portman (R-Oh), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). This legislation would take important steps towards improving the accessibility of public government information . The letter argues: The ACMRA

June 13, 2019 | Zach Graves

The following article, co-authored by Lincoln Network head of policy Zach Graves and R Street Institute vice president of policy Kevin R. Kosar, originally ran at RealClearPolicy. They are the authors of the policy study, “Bring in the Nerds: Reviving the Office of Technology Assessment.” Barely one in five Americans approve of the way Congress is operating. It

Podcast roundup on OTA

June 6, 2019 | Zach Graves

I appeared on several podcasts over the past few months to discuss improving S&T expertise in government, reviving the Office of Technology Assessment, and related issues. Check them out here: Cato Institute’s Building Tomorrow Podcast Federal News Radio’s Federal Drive with Tom Temin Techdirt Podcast Harvard University Ash Center’s AshCast

May 23, 2019 | Zach Graves

Looking through former Rep. Rush Holt’s (D-NJ) archives, I found this curious letter from Newt Gingrich to Rep. Amo Houghton (R-NY) on the Office of Technology Assessment dated January 10, 2006. In it he writes: “I agree with your thoughts about the essential nature of the OTA, and I am very interested in finding new