Influenced by the work and recommendations of the non-sunsetted Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, the new Subcommittee on Modernization with the Committee on House Administration — established in February 2023 — is working in an evenly bipartisan manner to advance solutions to make the House a more functional, accessible, transparent, and technologically adept institution. The select committee advanced a total of 202 bipartisan recommendations — of which over 100 were fully or partially implemented.
Established in the 116th Congress with overwhelming support from both parties, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress is made up of an even number of Republicans and Democrats. It has produced more than 100 bold recommendations — nearly all of which were unanimous — and passed 29 through the House, making the institution more functional, accessible, transparent, representative, and technologically adept. The select committee serves as one of the strongest models for productive, bipartisan collaboration in Congress.
Issue One and partner organizations called for the creation of this select committee, and we have continuously advocated for and helped inform its work. Issue One has repeatedly given testimony before the select committee focused on attracting and retaining smart and diverse staff, with several of our recommendations adopted by the committee. We also successfully pushed for the select committee to be extended past its initial one-year mandate.
Cites Issue One's "The Road to Fair Pay" report...
Issue One's "The Road to Fair Pay" report cited...
Typical staff assistant on Capitol Hill no longer makes less than a living wage, but more reforms are needed to attract and retain staffers from all socioeconomic backgrounds...
Press releases
Leading crosspartisan political reform group advocated for establishment of highly successful select committee in 2018, led efforts to create permanent subcommittee...
Yesterday, the House Administration Committee announced the establishment of a permanent modernization subcommittee to continue the important work of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. Under the…
Press releases
In a new letter released today, a bipartisan group of 41 members of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus — the largest group of former elected officials ever assembled to fix our broken…
Press releases
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today that all House staff will be paid an annualized salary of at least $45,000, effective September 1, 2022. In a historic first, this reform…
In the media
Cites Issue One’s report on congressional staff pay
Press releases
New research from Issue One underscores the extent to which congressional staffers are widely and consistently undercompensated for their work, especially in entry-level positions. An Issue One analysis of LegiStorm…
In the media
Cites Issue One’s new report on congressional staff pay
Reports
Why Congress Needs to Invest in Junior Staff...
Legislative staff are crucial to the daily operations of Congress, both on Capitol Hill and in district offices. Congressional staffers help craft policy, advance legislation, and handle inquiries from constituents…
Legislation & policy analysis
Measures would increase civility, collaboration, and evidence-based policy in the House...
Today, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress passed 25 new recommendations aimed at boosting civility and crosspartisan collaboration between members, strengthening legislative support agencies, and advancing evidence-based policymaking.…
Legislation & policy analysis
On Capitol Hill, ideas come cheap. Every member, staffer, lobbyist, and constituent has a policy proposal, many of them good. But two factors have distinguished the 97 recommendations put forward…
Press releases
Today, the Office of the Speaker announced that the House of Representatives will be raising the maximum salary for staff, in tandem with the House Committee on Administration announcing the…
