The Congressional Office for International Leadership, formerly known as the Open World Leadership Center, had its Leg branch budget hearing last week as well. The office, which is in charge of an international exchange program to bring citizen leaders from all around the world to meet and work with lawmakers and staff inside the Legislative branch, requested a flat budget. In her testimony, Executive Director Jane Sargus highlighted a quick transition to virtual connections during the pandemic and noted plans to digitize the office’s archive, implement advanced analytics, and bring in 1.5 times the usual number of leaders to make up for lost time.
A note: The House also has the House Democracy Partnership, which is separate from the Office for International Leadership. The HDP is focused on an effort to “promote responsive, effective government and strengthen democratic institutions by assisting legislatures in emerging democracies.” COIL is about legislative exchanges with post-Soviet countries.
