Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Ocasio-Cortez, Shalala lead finalists for democracy awards

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of several freshmen in Congress who were named finalists in the Democracy Awards competition, which highlights congressional offices that are well run and offer exceptional constituent service.

Brittany Greeson/Getty Images

Freshman members of Congress, particularly the newest female lawmakers, are leading the way on Capitol Hill in how they run their offices and serve constituent needs.

The Congressional Management Foundation announced Thursday the finalists for its Democracy Awards and nine people in their first terms — the most in the three years the awards have been handed out — made the cut.

Seven women are among the finalists, again the most in the short history of the awards, which honor members of Congress for their work in four categories: constituent service; workplace environment; transparency and accountability; and innovation and modernization.


Also for the first time, two members were chosen as finalists in two categories — prominent first-term House Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, an icon of the progressive movement, and Donna Shalala of Florida, who was Health and Human Services secretary in the Clinton administration.

"Now, more than ever, Americans need to hear about examples of their government officials performing at their best," said foundation CEO Bradford Fitch.

A committee, made up mostly of former members and staffers, will choose one Republican and one Democrat as winners in each category. The winners will be announced in a few months.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Here are the finalists:

Constituent Service

Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill.

Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Okla.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.

Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas

Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Penn.

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va.

Workplace environment

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Rep. Donna Shalala, D-Fla.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.

Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.

Transparency and accountability

Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.

Rep. Tom O'Halleran, D-Ariz.

Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas

Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas

Rep. Van Taylor, R-Texas

Innovation and modernization

Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas

Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga.

Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga.

Read More

Improving Infrastructure In Washington To Benefit Both People and Nature

The 50: Washington

Improving Infrastructure In Washington To Benefit Both People and Nature

The 50is a four-year multimedia project in which the Fulcrum visits different communities across all 50 states to learn what motivated them to vote in the 2024 presidential election and see how the Donald Trump administration is meeting those concerns and hopes.

Washington State has historically fluctuated between Republican and Democratic preferences. While it was considered a Republican-leaning swing state until the 1980s, the political landscape shifted significantly in the following decades. Since 1988, the Democratic Party has won every presidential election in Washington, consistently achieving victory by double-digit margins since 2008.

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Homeschool Act’ Stalled in House, but Opponents Remain Vigilant for Potential Revival

Opponents of HB2827 gather in the Capitol to protest the bill April 9, which received a historic 51,000 opposition signatures.

Maggie Dougherty

‘Homeschool Act’ Stalled in House, but Opponents Remain Vigilant for Potential Revival

Opponents of House Bill 2827—dubbed the “Homeschool Act”—managed to keep it from the floor of the Illinois House for a vote before the April 11 deadline. But the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Terra Costa Howard (D-Glen Ellyn), remains committed to getting it passed.

“Our intention is to keep working the bill, keep making amendments as necessary, and continuing to meet with organizations who have strong opinions about it, that's what's important to do,” said Costa Howard.

Keep ReadingShow less
House passes 1,100-page spending and tax bill, raising debt by up to $4 trillion

US Capitol

Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

House passes 1,100-page spending and tax bill, raising debt by up to $4 trillion

Early Thursday morning the House passed H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — yes, that’s it’s official title — a 1,100+ page bill with large cuts to both spending and taxes. We know the big picture but little about the details because it hasn’t been available for long enough for anyone to actually read it.

This is the “reconciliation” bill, the first signature legislation moved by Republicans in Congress and President Trump. This bill has special rules that make it immune to the Senate filibuster, so it can pass the Senate if a simple majority vote for it.

Keep ReadingShow less
How Language and Cultural Barriers in Healthcare Plague Seattle’s Latino Community

stethoscope on top of a clipboard

Getty Images

How Language and Cultural Barriers in Healthcare Plague Seattle’s Latino Community

A visit to the hospital can already be a stressful event for many. For those in the Seattle Latino community, language and cultural barriers present in the healthcare system can make the process even more daunting.

According to Leo Morales, a healthcare provider at UW Medicine’s LatinX Diabetes Clinic and co-director of the Latino Center for Health, communication difficulties are one of the most obvious barriers in healthcare for Latinos with limited English proficiency.

Keep ReadingShow less