OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Moving Our Democracy and Congressional Operations Towards Modernization Resolution

Floor Speech

Date: March 10, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Government Operations Legislative Branch

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Mr. NEWHOUSE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, Mr. Davis, for yielding and thank him also for all of his hard work bringing this resolution to the floor. I also want to thank him for being here in person himself to help us argue the good points of this resolution and its bipartisan nature.

Mr. Speaker, for over a year, the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has worked together to discuss how Congress, as an institution, conducts business on behalf of the American people.

From broad subjects, like government transparency and congressional office payroll, to narrower topics, like formatting legislative documents, our goal is to bring Congress into the same century as the constituents whom we serve.

This resolution is a great first step in accomplishing that goal. It requires our technology offices to streamline the approval process for new and innovative technologies. It takes steps towards Housewide bulk purchasing of technology products and services and will save every Member money out of their MRAs.

Additionally, the resolution examines expanding or eliminating the cap on the number of employees for Member offices. Many Members, particularly in rural areas like my district in central Washington, have multiple district offices, and Members should be able to staff their offices as they see fit.

Empowering Members to adequately staff both district and D.C. offices can improve retention, but, more importantly, it can improve communication with our constituents.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to again thank Chairman Kilmer and Ranking Member Graves for their leadership and their work in bringing this resolution to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues, all Members, to support the adoption of this resolution.

Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), another member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

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