FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2021 12:01am EST
Contact: Brad Sinkaus |
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Eight Members of Congress Win Democracy Awards for Extraordinary Public Service
"Americans usually only hear about Congress when something goes wrong. The Democracy Awards shines a light on Congress when it does something right," said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. "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."
The 2021 winners are:
Constituent Service- Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE)
- Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL)
- Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA)
- Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL)
- Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)
- Rep. French Hill (R-AR)
- Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD)
- Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD)
CMF has created a detailed process to identify and recognize the best congressional offices in four categories: 1) Constituent Service; 2) "Life in Congress" Workplace Environment; 3) Transparency and Accountability; and 4) Innovation and Modernization. House and Senate personal offices self-nominated in late 2020/early 2021 using an online questionnaire. In early 2021, CMF followed up with offices to conduct interviews and assess the office's adherence to the established criteria using a detailed checklist to determine a list of nominees that would advance to the Selection Committee phase of the process.
Next, a Selection Committee comprised primarily of former Members of Congress and former congressional staffers selected two winners (one Democrat and one Republican) for each category using the nomination forms, interview notes, and supporting material provided by the office.
Details on the winners' accomplishments can be found here.
Additionally, today CMF announced a Special Democracy Award recognizing the floor staff of the United States Congress, who acted heroically when the Capitol was under attack on January 6, 2021.
"This is a group of public servants who are rarely recognized for their contributions, and yet without whom the engine of democracy would fail to function," said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF. "On January 6, 2021, they were put in harm's way, asked to go above and beyond expectations, and worked with others to protect the peaceful transition of power which is the hallmark of our democracy. These public servants were the stewards of democracy when we needed them most and continue to perform admirably as silent patriots serving under the dome. We owe them our gratitude for their outstanding work before, during, and after January 6, 2021," he said.
This award is bestowed upon the nonpartisan floor staff for the United States House and Senate. For a list of those individual offices, please click here.
The Founding Partner for the Democracy Awards is the Bridge Alliance, which provided a generous grant to launch the program. Bridge Alliance is a diverse coalition of more than 100 organizations committed to revitalizing democratic practice in America.
CMF is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to build trust and effectiveness in Congress. Since 1977, CMF has worked internally with Member, committee, leadership, and institutional offices in the House and Senate to identify and disseminate best practices for management, workplace environment, communications, and constituent services. CMF also is the leading researcher and trainer on citizen engagement, educating thousands of individuals and facilitating better relationships with Congress.
###
