"The creation of this committee is the vital first step to enhancing the institution of Congress," said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF. "Congress has been challenged to keep up with the expectations of its constituents and to comprehend the dynamics of complex issues. This committee can offer guidance to Members, leadership, and staff, showing a path to creating a premiere democratic institution for the 21st Century," he said.

In 2017, CMF released a study illustrating significant concerns around Congress' capacity in information technology, resources, and professional skills to fulfill its mission. The key findings in State of the Congress: Staff Perspectives on Institutional Capacity in the House and Senate were based on survey questions posed to senior congressional staff between August and October 2016. Two basic questions were posed. "In your opinion, how important are the following for the effective functioning of your chamber?" And, "How satisfied are you with your chamber's performance in the following?"

• 60 percent of Congressional senior staff surveyed agree that it is very important that “the technological infrastructure is adequate to support Members’ official duties” only 6 percent are very satisfied —a gap of 54 percentage points.
• 83 percent of Congressional senior staff surveyed agree that it is very important to have adequate staff knowledge, skills and abilities in order to support Members’ official duties, only 15 percent are very satisfied—a gap of 68 percentage points.

In addition, CMF research, conducted in concert with a team of academics, has shown the potential for new constituent engagement tools, such as online town hall meetings, have the potential for enhancing the relationship between citizens and Congress. The research is documented in a new book, Politics with the People: Building a Directly Representative Democracy, written by Michael A. Neblo, Kevin M. Esterling, David M. J. Lazer. The research showed that constituents who participated in innovative online town halls with members of Congress were more likely to trust the legislator on difficult issues, such as immigration, compared to citizens who did not participate.

                                                                               ###

About the Congressional Management Foundation

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to build trust and effectiveness in Congress. Since 1977, CMF has worked internally with Member, committee, leadership, and institutional offices in the House and Senate to identify and disseminate best practices for management, workplace environment, communications, and constituent services. CMF also is the leading researcher and trainer on citizen engagement, educating thousands of individuals and facilitating better relationships with Congress.