Skip to content
Project 2025
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories
Americans Want Immigration Reform—Here's What It Should Look Like

Americans Want Immigration Reform—Here's What It Should Look Like

How the Savannah Bananas Are Battling America’s Loneliness Epidemic

How the Savannah Bananas Are Battling America’s Loneliness Epidemic

Kimmel Sparks Conversation on Americans Leaving the U.S.

Kimmel Sparks Conversation on Americans Leaving the U.S.

The Political Non-Profit Sector Is Failing Us

The Political Non-Profit Sector Is Failing Us

Democracy Awards recognize eight members of Congress for public service

U.S. Capitol

Each year the Congressional Management Foundation recognizes eight members of Congress for their non-legislative achievements.

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images
Sara Swann
By Sara SwannAug 16, 2021
Sara Swann

As a staff writer, Sara covers a variety of democracy reform issues, including voting rights, money in politics, gerrymandering and civic education. Prior to joining The Fulcrum in May 2019, Sara reported on local government on Maryland's Eastern Shore for the USA Today network. She is a native West Virginian and a graduate of Syracuse University.

See More Writings by author

At a time when public trust in Congress is low and partisan dysfunction is high, a select group of lawmakers is leading the way on improving citizen engagement and operations on Capitol Hill.

The Democracy Awards — also dubbed the "Oscars for Congress" — recognizes the legislators who go above and beyond each year. On Monday, the Congressional Management Foundation announced the winners of its fourth annual honors program. Two lawmakers, one from each party, were chosen for their non-legislative achievements and performance in each of four separate categories: constituent service, workplace environment, transparency and accountability, and innovation and modernization.

"Americans usually only hear about Congress when something goes wrong. The Democracy Awards shines a light on Congress when it does something right," said Brad Fitch, president and CEO of CMF. "These Members of Congress and their staff members deserve recognition for their work to improve transparency in government, foster innovation in Congress, modernize their work environments and serve their constituents."

Here are this year's eight winners.

For constituent service:

  • GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska.
  • Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos of Illinois.

For "Life in Congress" workplace environment:

  • GOP Rep. French Hill of Arkansas.
  • Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon of Pennsylvania.

For transparency and accountability:

  • Democratic Rep. Anthony Brown of Maryland.
  • GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota.

For innovation and modernization:

  • GOP Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida.
  • Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of California.

In addition, the nonpartisan floor staffers of the House and Senate were collectively recognized by CMF with a Special Democracy Award for "the crucial role they played and the personal risks they took on January 6, 2021 to protect others and our democratic tradition of peacefully transitioning power."

Latest news

Is Trump Normalizing Military Occupation of American Cities?
Ethics & Leadership

Is Trump Normalizing Military Occupation of American Cities?

Texas Democrats and Talarico Fight Back
Democracy

Texas Democrats and Talarico Fight Back

Celebrating National Black Business Month
Business & Democracy

Celebrating National Black Business Month

Read More

Protecting the U.S. Press: The PRESS Act and What It Could Mean for Journalists

The Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression (PRESS) Act aims to fill the national shield law gap by providing two protections for journalists.

Getty Images, Manu Vega

Protecting the U.S. Press: The PRESS Act and What It Could Mean for Journalists

The First Amendment protects journalists during the news-gathering and publication processes. For example, under the First Amendment, reporters cannot be forced to report on an issue. However, the press is not entitled to different legal protections compared to a general member of the public under the First Amendment.

In the United States, there are protections for journalists beyond the First Amendment, including shield laws that protect journalists from pressure to reveal sources or information during news-gathering. 48 states and the District of Columbia have shield laws, but protections vary widely. There is currently no federal shield law. As of 2019, at least 22 journalists have been jailed in the U.S. for refusing to comply with requests to reveal sources of information. Seven other journalists have been jailed and fined for the same reason.

Keep ReadingShow less
Democrats Score Strategic Wins Amid Redistricting Battles

Democrat Donkey is winning arm wrestling match against Republican elephant

AI generated image

Democrats Score Strategic Wins Amid Redistricting Battles

Democrats are quietly building momentum in the 2025 election cycle, notching two key legislative flips in special elections and gaining ground in early polling ahead of the 2026 midterms. While the victories are modest in number, they signal a potential shift in voter sentiment — and a brewing backlash against Republican-led redistricting efforts.

Out of 40 special elections held across the United States so far in 2025, only two seats have changed party control — both flipping from Republican to Democrat.

Keep ReadingShow less
Policing or Occupation? Trump’s Militarizing America’s Cities Sets a Dangerous Precedent

A DC Metropolitan Police Department car is parked near a rally against the Trump Administration's federal takeover of the District of Columbia, outside of the AFL-CIO on August 11, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Policing or Occupation? Trump’s Militarizing America’s Cities Sets a Dangerous Precedent

President Trump announced the activation of hundreds of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., along with the deployment of federal agents—including more than 100 from the FBI. This comes despite Justice Department data showing that violent crime in D.C. fell 35% from 2023 to 2024, reaching its lowest point in over three decades. These aren’t abstract numbers—they paint a picture of a city safer than it has been in a generation, with fewer homicides, assaults, and robberies than at any point since the early 1990s.

The contradiction could not be more glaring: the same president who, on January 6, 2021, stalled for hours as a violent uprising engulfed the Capitol is now rushing to “liberate” a city that—based on federal data—hasn’t been this safe in more than thirty years. Then, when democracy itself was under siege, urgency gave way to dithering; today, with no comparable emergency—only vague claims of lawlessness—he mobilizes troops for a mission that looks less like public safety and more like political theater. The disparity between those two moments is more than irony; it is a blueprint for how power can be selectively applied, depending on whose power is threatened.

Keep ReadingShow less
Democrats Need To Focus on Communication

Democrat Donkey phone operator

AI illustration

Democrats Need To Focus on Communication

The Democrats have a problem…I realize this isn’t a revelation, but I believe they’re boxed into a corner with limited options to regain their footing. Don’t get me wrong, the party could have a big win in the 2026 midterms with a backlash building against Trump and MAGA. In some scenarios, that could also lead to taking back the White House in 2028…but therein lies the problem.

In its second term, the Trump administration has severely cut government agencies, expanded the power of the Executive branch, enacted policies that will bloat the federal deficit, dismantled parts of the social safety net, weakened our standing in the world, and moved the US closer to a “pay for play” transactional philosophy of operating government that’s usually reserved for Third World countries. America has veered away from being the model emulated by other nations that aim to build a stable democracy.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2025