Congress Hosts Sixth Annual Hackathon
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) addresses the attendees of the annual Congressional Hackathon in the US Capitol visitor center auditorium Sept. 19.
The sixth annual Congressional Hackathon was held September 19. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer was instrumental in creating the event.
The hackathon brings together a bipartisan group of members of Congress, congressional staff, legislative branch agency staff, open government and transparency advocates, civic hackers, and developers from digital companies to explore the role of digital platforms in the legislative process.
Discussions range from data transparency to constituent services, public correspondence, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, committee hearings, and the broader legislative process.
Congressman Hoyer (D-MD) thanked those involved with continuing “this very, very important effort, which has benefited the Congress of the United States and the people of the United States as well.”
“This is our sixth in the US Capitol hackathon. I’m grateful for Speaker Mike Johnson, as I said, for carrying on this worthwhile effort. As well as the leader of my party, an extraordinary individual in his own right, Hakeem Jeffries, who has been a real supporter of this effort,” Rep. Hoyer said. “The hackathon has been a bipartisan initiative ever since I first organized it with [former House majority leader] Eric Cantor.”
The hackathon’s beginning wasn’t about politics, Rep. Hoyer said.
“It’s about improving this institution and its ability to serve the American people. … You’ll see some of these cutting-edge technologies today, including an online legislative drafting platform on our House server, a new online staff directory … and one of my personal favorites as an appropriator, I served on the Appropriations Committee for a very long period of time, a new system that handled community project funding,” he said
He thanked those in attendance for what they do every day and that is to make sure America is the “most technologically proficient country in the world, and that the Congress of the United States reflects that technological ability to the benefit of the American people.”
Congressman Hoyer’s entire remarks may be read here.
Congressman Hoyer is chair of the Regional Leadership Council.
For more information about Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.
