Hoyer Praises CAO Launch of House Digital Service

Statement

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) today applauded the announcement by House Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor that her office is launching a new House Digital Service to spearhead the adoption of new digital technologies and platforms to improve Members' ability to deliver for constituents.

Leader Hoyer first put forward the idea of launching a House Digital Service, modeled on the Obama-Biden Administration's U.S. Digital Service, in 2016, when he worked on draft legislation with Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to create one. After that legislation failed to be introduced in the Republican-led 114th Congress, Leader Hoyer continued to promote the concept, including in his September 2018 speech launching House Democrats' For the People agenda. Hoyer has been leading efforts more broadly in the House to promote digital innovation of the legislative branch through his bipartisan "hackathons,' support for the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and the creation of digital tools like the Majority Leader's acclaimed Dome Watch app. In both March 2019 and April 2021, Hoyer testified before the Select Modernization Committee where he specifically called for the launch of a Digital Service for Congress.

"I'm very excited that the CAO has announced the creation of a new House Digital Service," Hoyer said. "Ever since I first proposed this idea some years ago, House Democrats have made it part of our agenda to modernize the Congress and make it easier for Americans to connect with their Representatives while making the legislative process more transparent. I thank both the Select Committee on Modernization for recommending its creation, as well as the Committee on House Administration for working with me to make this a reality. In particular, I commend Chairman Derek Kilmer, Chair Zoe Lofgren, former Vice Chair Tom Graves, Vice Chair William Timmons, and Ranking Member Rodney Davis for collectively making great strides in modernizing the institution of Congress. I look forward to working with the CAO to ensure that this new House Digital Service has the tools and resources it needs to succeed in its mission."

"One of the best ways to make government work "for the people' is to improve the way Americans connect with their Members of Congress and with government agencies," Leader Hoyer said in a speech on September 12, 2018. "Americans interact with businesses and organizations seamlessly online, but government technology is stuck a generation in the past. That's why I've been working to modernize the way House Democrats use technology. It's why I launched the "Whip Watch' iPhone app [now called Dome Watch] and updated the internal system by which House Democratic staff can track legislation and share best practices. I also partnered with the Republican Leader to pass the bipartisan Modernizing Government Technology Act, which will facilitate major system upgrades. But we need to do more. We ought to re-establish the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and launch a new Congressional Digital Service that can put more data online for the public and develop a new platform for Americans to communicate with their representatives."

To read the 2018 speech in full, click here. To watch or read Leader Hoyer's testimony before the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress this past April, in which he discussed progress toward launching the new House Digital Service, follow this link.

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