Eight Members of Congress Named Winners for Democracy Awards for Extraordinary Public Service
Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito Honored for Lifetime Achievement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) today announced the winners for the sixth annual Democracy Awards, CMF's program recognizing non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices and by Members of Congress.
"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, CMF's President and CEO. "These Members of Congress and their staff deserve recognition for their work to improve accountability in government, modernize their work environments and serve their constituents."
The 2023 Democracy Awards winners by category are:
Constituent Service
- Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) – who conducts town halls with constituents, both in-person and virtually, including "Drive-Thru Dusty Town Halls," with the congressman addressing constituents on the back of a pick-up truck, answering constituent questions as a safe alternative to meet with constituents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) – who in less than four years in office has closed nearly 5,000 constituent cases, recovered millions of dollars on behalf of constituents, and hosted almost 20 virtual workshops on as variety of topics for solving problems in working with executive branch agencies.
"Life in Congress" Workplace Environment
- Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) – who created a robust time-off policy. Staff receive 30 days of total paid leave per year - 15 days of vacation + 15 days of sick leave which can be used for Mental Health Days at any point during the year, in addition to 1-2 weeks of office closure in the last 2 weeks of December.
- Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL) – who, having been sworn in at the height of the pandemic in 2021, created a telework policy that allows empowers staff to coordinate schedules so that the office remains staffed, and every staffer can periodically work from home. The office also immediately provided lightweight laptops, iPads and iPhones, so every staffer can easily continue working outside of the office, whether from home or other locations.
Constituent Accountability and Accessibility
- Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) – who has held more than 300 constituent service or town hall-style events since coming to Congress in 2017.
- Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) – who instituted a policy of never leaving a town hall meeting until the last constituent attending has had an opportunity to ask a question.
Innovation and Modernization
- Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) - who served as chair on the Select Committee on Modernization. The Committee passed 202 recommendations during the 116th and 117th Congresses affecting congressional staff pay, information technology, and reforming the congressionally-directed spending, formerly called earmarks.
- Rep. William Timmons (R-SC) - who served as vice-chair on the Select Committee on Modernization in the 117th Congress. The Committee not only passed recommendations to improve the Congress, the bipartisan committee operated unlike other committees, demonstrating a degree of effectiveness and comity unprecedented in recent congressional history.
Methodology. CMF created a detailed process to identify and recognize the best congressional offices. House and Senate personal offices self-nominated in late 2022/early 2023 using an online questionnaire. In early 2023, 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.
In July, a Selection Committee comprised of 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 winner' accomplishments can be found here.
CMF also announced that the two 2023 Democracy Award winners for Lifetime Achievement were Rep. Marcy Kaptur and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito. "These two legislators for decades have dedicated themselves to the highest principles of public service," said Fitch. "Rep. Kaptur and Sen. Moore Capito embody the best in Congress and the best in our country and are to be heartily congratulated for a lifetime of service to their constituents and the nation," he said.
The Democracy Awards winners and finalists will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC., on September 15, 2023 – a date selected to coincide with Constitution Week. 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.
The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1977 dedicated to strengthening Congress and building trust in its work with and for the American people. CMF works to revitalize Congress as an institution; promotes best practices in congressional offices; and helps Congress and the people they represent engage in a constructive and inclusive dialogue toward a thriving American democracy.
