Years of short-changing the legislative branch have significantly undermined congressional capacity. But by adopting many of the recommendations made by the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, Congress can be better prepared to take on complex issues and take back the decision-making power it has increasingly ceded to both the executive and judicial branches of government. These recommendations include better pay and other benefits for staff that would make Congress more competitive in the job market, such as streamlining processes, encouraging bipartisan relationship-building and information sharing, and conducting more effective hearings in the pursuit of information over viral moments, which would provide ample resources for Hill offices and congressional support agencies alike. A number of these much-needed reforms have already been implemented, and others could be passed via the House’s FY2023 Legislative Branch appropriations bill, as detailed by Demand Progress, though much more remains to be done. Prioritizing the work of the Modernization Committee, and pursuing a like-minded improvement process in the Senate, would help equip Congress to be the institution our Founders intended and Americans need.
