IT Modernization

Building Digital Capacity in Congress: Recommendations for the House Digital Service

July 14, 2022 | Reynold Schweickhardt

Click here to download a PDF version of the paper. Despite many reforms over time, Congress has struggled to keep up with the pace of technological change and the new burdens it has brought. In particular, because of its distributed governance, legislative branch IT operations must contend with a greater number of coordination problems, inefficiencies, and vectors

June 23, 2022 | Reynold Schweickhardt

Click here to download a full PDF of the testimony. Chair Kilmer, Vice Chair Timmons, and Members of the Committee: I am pleased to appear today to testify about ways to improve the digital capacity of the House of Representatives. I will be speaking to structural issues that raise the costs of implementing digital initiatives

May 19, 2022 | Dan Lips

Click here to download a full PDF of the testimony. Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera-Beautler, and Members of the Subcommittee: My name is Dan Lips. I am Head of Policy at Lincoln Network. I respectfully urge thesubcommittee to fully fund the Comptroller General’s budget request of $810 million for theU.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for

May 11, 2022 | Dan Lips

From cyber attacks to overseeing hundreds of billions in federal spending, state and local governments face growing technology challenges. A new bipartisan Senate bill would reform a half-century-old law to allow federal agencies to provide technology assistance to state and local partners and encourage greater cooperation between government agencies. Under the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968,

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 | 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

September 14, 2021 | Dan Lips

On Aug. 25, the Biden administration announced a new public-private initiative to improve the nation’s cybersecurity. The White House directed the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) to partner with industry and other stakeholders to develop a new framework to “improve the security and integrity of the technology supply chain.” The White House’s announcement

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,

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 20, 2020 | Joel Thayer

WC Docket Nos. 17-287 The D.C. Circuit largely upheld the FCC’s 2018 Restoring Internet Freedom Order (“2018 RIF Order”) in Mozilla v. F.C.C., but the Court requested that the FCC seek comment on three aspects of its 2018 RIF Order (i.e, public safety, pole attachments, and Lifeline). After careful review of the docket, Lincoln Network

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 28, 2020 | Dan Lips

Harmonizing cybersecurity regulations imposed on state governments was a good idea before the pandemic. Now, it should be a top priority to help states address current challenges and defend the 2020 election. State governments are facing unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic. While saving lives and addressing urgent public health needs remains the focus, state

April 22, 2020 | Dan Lips

Removing regulatory barriers to allow federal and state agencies to work together is a good start Writing in the Wall Street Journal this weekend, Andy Kessler described how wasted tax dollars and outdated IT systems are hindering the nation’s ability to address the COVID-19 pandemic, pointing to alarming examples at the state and federal level.

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,

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

April 8, 2019 | Zach Graves

This bipartisan coalition letter, organized by Lincoln Network and Demand Progress, was sent to the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress on April 8, 2019. It offers a series of recommendations for improving information technology in Congress. Click here to read it. Signatories include: Zach GravesHead of Policy, Lincoln Network Daniel SchumanPolicy Director,

March 25, 2019 | Zach Graves

The following bipartisan coalition letter was organized by Lincoln Network and Demand Progress. Two versions were sent to House and Senate appropriators. Click here for the House version (displayed below). Click here for the Senate version. Rep. Nita Lowey, ChairwomanRep. Kay Granger, Ranking MemberU.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Appropriations The Capitol, Room H-307Washington, DC

Doing Business with Congress

December 15, 2018 | Zach Graves

Of the three branches of the federal government, Congress is the most responsive to the American people. On a daily basis, congressional offices hear from constituents, industry groups, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders across a broad range of issues. While digital tools have lowered barriers to communication with our elected representatives, Congress’s information technology