• Home
  • Opinion
  • Quizzes
  • Redistricting
  • Sections
  • About Us
  • Voting
  • Independent Voter News
  • Campaign Finance
  • Civic Ed
  • Directory
  • Election Dissection
  • Events
  • Fact Check
  • Glossary
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Subscriptions
  • Log in
Leveraging Our Differences
  • news & opinion
    • Big Picture
      • Civic Ed
      • Ethics
      • Leadership
      • Leveraging big ideas
      • Media
    • Business & Democracy
      • Corporate Responsibility
      • Impact Investment
      • Innovation & Incubation
      • Small Businesses
      • Stakeholder Capitalism
    • Elections
      • Campaign Finance
      • Independent Voter News
      • Redistricting
      • Voting
    • Government
      • Balance of Power
      • Budgeting
      • Congress
      • Judicial
      • Local
      • State
      • White House
    • Justice
      • Accountability
      • Anti-corruption
      • Budget equity
    • Columns
      • Beyond Right and Left
      • Civic Soul
      • Congress at a Crossroads
      • Cross-Partisan Visions
      • Democracy Pie
      • Our Freedom
  • Pop Culture
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
      • American Heroes
      • Ask Joe
      • Celebrity News
      • Comedy
      • Dance, Theatre & Film
      • Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
      • Faithful & Mindful Living
      • Music, Poetry & Arts
      • Sports
      • Technology
      • Your Take
  • events
  • About
      • Mission
      • Advisory Board
      • Staff
      • Contact Us
Sign Up
  1. Home>
  2. Newsletter>
  3. newsletter>

Reform in 2023: Building a better Congress

The Fulcrum
December 20, 2022

Reform in 2023

As the year draws to a close, The Fulcrum is starting to look ahead to what may happen next year in the world of political reform and anti-polarization efforts. We invited leaders in those movements to share their hopes and plans for 2023, and we began publishing their thoughts this week.

If that’s your standard-bearer, then what are your standards?

Pete Weichlein, CEO of the Former Members of Congress Association, kicked off the series by asking Americans to hold their representatives accountable.


Whatever litmus test we all individually applied, the 2022 election is over and a new Congress will be sworn in on Jan. 3, 2023. The voter’s job now is to hold our elected representatives accountable over the next two years as we gear up for the 2024 election cycle. The candidate you selected is your chosen standard-bearer, and your responsibility as an engaged and educated voter is measuring their performance leading up to the next election. If they are your standard-bearer, then what are your standards?

Pete offers some ideas for our readers.

Congress actually had a pretty good 2022, and next year may be even better

Bradford Fitch, CEO of the the Congressional Management Foundation, will be working with lawmakers, congressional staff and others to help Congress continue the work begun by the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

It may sound mundane, but the committee’s recommendations, if fully implemented, would strengthen Congress’ ability to retain competent staff, enhance the resources to develop sound public policy, enable more efficient processes for the Congress to operate and improve Congress’ ability to listen to the American people. They will also restore some of the powers granted to Congress in Article I of the Constitution, including shifting some spending authority from the executive branch back to the legislative branch, as the country’s founders intended. Their recommendations will strengthen Congress, allow constituents to have a greater voice in government, and lead to better service to and representation of the American people.

Read more about CMF’s plans.

Your take: What will the new year bring?

We’ve had a grueling three years, not just dealing with the pandemic but also experiencing a decline in bipartisan dialogue and political reform. The next few years will continue to be hard, but we are optimistic about the future.

This week, we’d like to hear your take on what 2023 and beyond will bring. What will be your indicators?

Send your thoughts to Debilyn Molineaux by noon Thursday. Select responses will be published Friday.

Podcast: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and six other Senate party defectors

Since 1890, 22 senators have changed parties while in office, including the latest to do so: Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema. On "The Weekly," C-SPAN highlights six who did so immediately before Sinema.

Watch.

Also in the news

Here are the elections on tap for 2023 (Politico)

Warnock says voter suppression remains an issue in Georgia even though he won, tells critic Brad Raffensperger 'we can do better' (Business Insider)

How the South Carolina primary gained primacy (The Washington Post)

Cyber Command conducted offensive operations to protect midterm elections (The Record)

Upcoming events

Inspiring Stories: In the Face of Differences - The Guibord Center - Dec. 21

Democracy Happy Hour - Fix Democracy First - Jan. 4

Restoring Faith in American Leadership - Institute for Global Leadership - Jan. 9

newsletter

Want to write
for The Fulcrum?

If you have something to say about ways to protect or repair our American democracy, we want to hear from you.

Submit
Get some Leverage Sign up for The Fulcrum Newsletter
Confirm that you are not a bot.
×
Follow

Support Democracy Journalism; Join The Fulcrum

The Fulcrum daily platform is where insiders and outsiders to politics are informed, meet, talk, and act to repair our democracy and make it live and work in our everyday lives. Now more than ever our democracy needs a trustworthy outlet

Contribute
Contributors

Policymakers must address worsening civil unrest post Roe

Sarah K. Burke

Video: How to salvage U.S. democracy from the "tyranny of the minority"

Our Staff

What "Progress" should look like, and what we get wrong

Damien De Pyle

The long kiss goodnight: Nancy Pelosi and the protracted decay of public office

Kevin Frazier

Demanding corporate responsibility for food system challenges

C.Anne Long

Our two political parties: A resemblance to WrestleMania

Leland R. Beaumont
latest News

International Day of Democracy and statelessness

Tenzin Dolma
15 September

The shofar blasts on Constitution Day

Rabbi Charles Savenor
15 September

On democracy in America

Lori Brewer Collins
14 September

Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Our Staff
14 September

Regulating the regulators

William Natbony
13 September

Healing healthcare: Three actions to repair five years of damage

Robert Pearl
13 September
Videos
Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Our Staff
Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Video: How to prepare for student loan repayments returning

Our Staff
Video: The history of Labor Day

Video: The history of Labor Day

Our Staff
Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Video: Trump allies begin to flip as prosecutions move forward

Our Staff
Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Video Rewind: Trans-partisan practices and the "superpower of respect"

Our Staff
Video: Pearce Godwin of Listen First Project discusses Listen First on CSPAN

Video: Pearce Godwin of Listen First Project discusses Listen First on CSPAN

Our Staff
Podcasts

Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Our Staff
14 September

Podcast: The MAGA Bubble, Bidenonmics and Playing the Victim

Debilyn Molineaux
David Riordan
12 September

Podcast: Defending the founding principles of our government

Our Staff
07 September

Podcast: The continuing effects of summer heat and student loan repayments

Our Staff
05 September
Recommended
International Day of Democracy and statelessness

International Day of Democracy and statelessness

Policies
The shofar blasts on Constitution Day

The shofar blasts on Constitution Day

Big Picture
Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Video: Do white leaders hinder black aspirations?

Diversity Inclusion and Belonging
On democracy in America

On democracy in America

Big Picture
Policymakers must address worsening civil unrest post Roe

Policymakers must address worsening civil unrest post Roe

Analysis
Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Podcast: How states hold fair elections

Voting