The latest recommendations by the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress are innovative, creative, and directly address the clear constraints of the coronavirus on congressional operations.
Congress is not exactly known for being nimble. Yet in our four decades of working with the Congress, the Congressional Management Foundation has rarely seen a group of Members of Congress so astutely assess a dramatically-changing environment, analyze the implications of those changes, and chart a course that benefits both the institution and the constituents it serves.
The House of Representatives would be wise to quickly adopt these recommendations. The only outcome greater and wiser than the adoption of these recommendations would be for the House and Senate to collectively develop a plan to build on this extraordinary work by the Select Committee and create a permanent venue for continuing to modernize and strengthen the institution of Congress.
Prior to the pandemic, this need was obvious. CMF hopes that the coronavirus crisis acts as the catalyst to alert Congress to the evident needs of this vital democratic institution. The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has taken the first steps to identify those needs and lay a path forward for the institution. It is now incumbent on congressional leaders to take the next step so that the First Branch can fulfill our Founders’ expectations, plans, and hopes to meet the needs and aspirations of a 21st century American public.
