Cleaning the House
The Sunlight Foundation is offering some tips for how Nancy Pelosi can reform the U.S. House. Columnist Robert Bluey goes through a few of the recommendations:
Enhance the legislative database. In its current form, THOMAS offers an abundance of data about legislation -- from bill status and co-sponsors to roll-call votes and amendments. Unfortunately, it’s not in a format that can be easily used. By making the information accessible in a structured, non-proprietary format, THOMAS could be used in new, creative ways to educate citizens about legislation.
Preserve congressional information. As important as it is to give citizens access to timely information through THOMAS, it’s just as essential to make sure the historical record is archived. With e-mail, word-processing documents and PDFs replacing paperwork, Congress needs to update its rules to ensure this information is preserved.
Shine sunlight on House committees. Pelosi would be wise to put forward a proposal requiring House committees to post transcripts of their proceedings promptly online. Much of the work done in committees is accessible only those who are able to attend personally, an option not available to a farmer in Kansas or an ironworker in Pennsylvania.
Create an Online Media Gallery. Citizen journalists and bloggers provide some of the most in-depth coverage of Congress, yet they lack what reporters take for granted: access to the U.S. Capitol. The current structure governing congressional press credentials offers little hope for citizen journalists, but a new Online Media Gallery could adopt guidelines that fit these news hounds.
File records electronically. In a world where everything from banking to grocery shopping is done online, Congress still operates in the Stone Age -- or rather, the Paper Age -- when it comes to filing campaign and lobbying disclosure forms. By making this information available electronically, citizens wouldn’t have to physically travel to Washington to access them.
When Caleb O. Brown was with KentuckyVotes.org, he led the effort to get more data about the General Assembly online. KentuckyVotes.org had some success, but the process toward openness in Frankfort needs to continue. The above recommendations could just as easily apply to Kentucky as they apply to the U.S. House.
