Hoyer, McCarthy to Host Congressional Hackathon
House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy have announced details of the upcoming Fourth Congressional Hackathon that will take place from 1 to 6 pm Wednesday, April 6, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.
The event is open to the public, but all participants are required to register in advance.
The event will bring 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 will range from data transparency to constituent services, public correspondence, social media, committee hearings, and the broader legislative process.
“We are living through a period of profound change,” said Leader Hoyer (D-MD). “Web and mobile technologies have transformed much of our lives. We are all more experienced with online meetings than we ever could have imagined, including hundreds of virtual committee hearings here in Congress. All this change is an opportunity to rethink, rebuild, and improve the way our institutions use technology, including the United States Congress.”
The hackathon will bring together a diverse group of experts to explore how to best take advantage of these new technologies, he said.
“I was proud to co-host the three prior congressional hackathons, each of which resulted in tangible progress, and I am pleased to host this event again with Leader McCarthy so that we can work together to open up and modernize government,” Rep. Hoyer said.
Leader McCarthy (R-CA) said, “I believe in a model of constant improvement — especially when it comes to Congress and providing the best possible user-facing experience for the constituents we serve. Bringing together civic-minded individuals both inside and outside government, the congressional hackathon draws upon the wisdom of our citizens in an effort to make the People’s House more transparent, efficient, and accountable. New ideas and smart use of technology are key to our goal of improving the legislative process so we can better meet the needs of the American people. I look forward to hosting this event again with Leader Hoyer and building upon the successes of previous hackathons.”
Follow Congressman Hoyer on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
For more information about House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.