Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Committee offers more ideas to bolster diversity, accessibility on Capitol Hill

Derek Kilmer

"Members can't do their jobs without the support of staff and that's exactly why Congress needs to do more to support them," said. Rep. Derek Kilmer, chairman of the modernization committee.

Tom Williams/Getty Images

The committee charged with making Congress a more functional workplace this week released new ideas on how to retain staff and bolster accessibility.

On Thursday, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress announced its first set of recommendations of the 117th Congress, aimed at improving staff recruitment, diversity, retention, compensation and benefits; professionalizing Capitol Hill internships and fellowships; and improving accessibility around the Capitol.


Established in 2019, the bipartisan modernization committee is tasked with investigating and identifying ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Congress. The panel was originally set to expire in February 2020, but its work was initially extended through the end of the 116th Congress. The House overwhelmingly approved 29 proposals from the panel — focused on improving the experience of new members, encouraging bipartisan socializing, and improving staff retention and diversity — in March 2020.

Over the course of 2020, the committee made 97 recommendations.

Then, at the start of this year, the House voted to allow the committee to continue its work through 2022.

The committee's latest proposals focus largely on improving the workplace for congressional staffers because they are "the first people our constituents encounter when they reach out to the federal government for help," said Democratic Rep. Derek Kilmer of Washington, who serves as chairman of the evenly divided, 12-person committee.

"Members can't do their jobs without the support of staff and that's exactly why Congress needs to do more to support them," Kilmer said.

Some of the recommendations the committee made to bolster staff recruitment, diversity and retention are:

  • Offer personalized job training that includes management skills, cultural competency and how to promote an inclusive work environment.
  • Create a mentorship match program.
  • Expand the Student Loan Repayment Program to include tuition assistance.
  • Collect anonymous demographic data to improve diversity and inclusion.
  • Update and align staff benefits to increase retention.

To professionalize internships and fellowships, the committee recommends:

  • Assessing cost of living to inform intern stipend programs.
  • Establishing an intern and fellowship program office or coordinator to help with onboarding, professional development and training.
  • Studying the feasibility of remote internships.
  • Providing stipends to interns who work for committees. (Interns in lawmakers' personal offices already receive payment.)

And to improve accessibility around the Capitol, the committee recommends:

  • Designating a drop-off and pick-up zone near an ADA-accessible entrance for members of the public.
  • Providing access to information about the security screening techniques disabled people will encounter when visiting the Capitol.
  • Installing additional automatic doors and replacing any door hardware that's difficult to grasp with one hand
  • Preparing training and tools for members and committees to help them update their websites to be more accessible.

The Congressional Management Foundation called this slate of recommendations "the most sweeping and comprehensive steps the House could take" to maintain a high-quality workforce and modernize Capitol Hill.

"We applaud these new recommendations, which will make the House of Representatives a stronger institution by improving staff retention, diversity, and pay," said Meredith McGehee, executive director of Issue One. "We urge Republicans and Democrats to work together to implement these proposals, because Americans deserve a responsive legislative branch that is able to meet the challenges of our modern democracy."

Read More

As DOE Redirects Funding for Puerto Rico’s Rooftop Solar, Experts Say the Change Could Strengthen Gas Systems

View of the LNG Terminal in San Juan, where most of Puerto Rico's natural gas resources are shipped to. The island currently imports 85% of its energy resources.

As DOE Redirects Funding for Puerto Rico’s Rooftop Solar, Experts Say the Change Could Strengthen Gas Systems

When President Biden first announced $1 billion in funding to install rooftop solar in Puerto Rico’s vulnerable communities two years ago, many Puerto Ricans felt it was cause for celebration. Federal officials have long sought to support rooftop solar in Puerto Rico, which could help the island's unstable energy grid become more energy-independent.

But under the leadership of President Trump — and with support from Puerto Rico’s newly elected governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colòn — these federal dollars could end up going toward the island’s gas-heavy grid rather than renewable energy efforts.

Keep ReadingShow less
For Sale. Public Lands. Never Imagined.

A group of hikers at the Zion National Park in Utah.

Getty Images, Jeremy Woodhouse

For Sale. Public Lands. Never Imagined.

Congress is discussing a dark and disturbing deal right under our noses: to sell up to a quarter-billion acres of America’s public lands. The proposed bill would open vast stretches of federally protected lands, including national forests to private interests. Without any substantial safeguards, these lands could be bought by foreign investors, corporations, and the ultra-wealthy to be developed into gated communities, resource extraction sites, or other commercial ventures. This legislation is a corporate land grab that threatens our natural heritage, our safety, and our future. It is a full-frontal attack on the American West.

Our country’s natural wonders are already under fire. This administration recently laid off roughly 1,000 workers in the National Park Service, or about five percent of its workforce. These dedicated professionals are the backbone of conservation efforts; they manage trails, clear brush, teach visitors about the animals and the stars, and tend to endangered species (and, presumably, at least one of them runs the National Park Service social media accounts, which are fantastic). When the personnel responsible for maintaining our parks are cut back, we risk letting our environment fall victim to neglect, creating conditions ripe for ecological disasters.

Keep ReadingShow less
Can AI Fill the Silence for Aging-Abroad Seniors?
man and woman walking on road during daytime

Can AI Fill the Silence for Aging-Abroad Seniors?

Since 2023, 30.8% of King County households have reported speaking a foreign language other than English at home. The demographic shift indicates that residents aged 65 and older are projected to increase by 85% between 2020 and 2035, according to Age Friendly Seattle.

Among them, a growing number are immigrants with limited English proficiency, often isolated from digital tools and access to public services.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump and Elon Musk
President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk sit ringside at a UFC fight in November.
Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

With Billions of Dollars Controlling American Politics, the Government Will Never Be for the People

The Fulcrum is committed to nurturing the next generation of journalists. To learn about the many NextGen initiatives we are leading, click HERE.

We asked Jared Tucker, a student at the University of Washington and a cohort member with the Fulcrum Fellowship, to share his thoughts on what democracy means to him and his perspective on its current health.

Keep ReadingShow less