“Oscars for Congress” Seven Members Honored
Seven members of Congress were named winners of the Democracy Awards for Extraordinary Public Service, otherwise known as the “Oscars for Congress.”
The awards are handed out by the nonprofit Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) and recognize non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices and by the members themselves.
There are four categories. Each category includes a Republican winner and a Democrat winner.
Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Lucy McBath (D-GA) were recognized for constituent service.
The office of Rep. Bilirakis was lauded for having a “culture of excellence and continuous improvement supported by formal procedures” including responding to constituents within 24 hours, using a shared intake drive that is checked by staff members throughout the day to expedite processing, and tracking constituent feedback.
The office of Rep. McBath was honored as every member of her district staff handles casework, “which the office feels affirms both internally and externally that serving constituents is the office’s number one goal.” The office also has a “living casework intake guide.”
Constituent Accountability and Accessibility
Rep. Bilirakis was also recognized for constituent accountability and accessibility, along with Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA).
The office of Rep. Pressley was applauded as it “leverages every congressional tool available to communicate important updates to her constituents.” Those tools include a newsletter and using social platforms to share federal resources.
Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) were recognized for “Life in Congress” Workplace Environment.
Rep. Bacon was honored for his office’s flexible telework policy, compensatory time off, and three office-sanctioned fitness breaks per week, resulting in lower turnover than other Nebraska offices.
Senator Duckworth was honored for holding staff retreats, check-ins, and running a mentorship program that unites new employees with more senior staff. It also has a “passion projects” initiative that “encourages staffers to work on spend time on projects they are passionate about regardless of their portfolios.”
Representative Don Davis (D-NC), the only first-term lawmaker to win an award this year, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) were recognized for Innovation and Modernization.
Rep. Davis was lauded for using Trello and web-based tools to schedule constituent appointments. The office was also applauded for using virtual platforms to increase constituent engagement and offering constituents a QR code to link directly to a feedback form.
Senator Rubio’s office was applauded as it “set itself apart by adopting a completely paperless system and revolutionizing its management process.” Changes include revamping the internship program to feature a comprehensive one-day orientation, implementing a feedback process to get information on each case handled by staff members, developing a specialized consent form for constituents requesting assistance, and developing a program for senior fellows.
“These two offices have demonstrated the value of innovation in government, not for the sake of innovation but to elevate the level of service to their constituents. If more elected officials adopted this kind of attitude, we can only wonder how people’s views of their government might change,” wrote Congressional Management Foundation President and CEO Bradford Fitch.
