For Immediate Release
August 12, 2024
Contact: Taylor Haulsee
WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Hakeem Jeffries today announced details of the upcoming Sixth Annual Congressional Hackathon co-hosted with the House Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Catherine Szpindor.
The event will take place on Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 1:00pm to 6:00pm ET in the CVC Auditorium of the U.S. Capitol Building. This event is open to the public, but all participants are required to register in advance.
The event will bring together a bipartisan group of Members of Congress, Congressional staff, Legislative Branch agency staff, open government and transparency advocates, civic hackers, and developers from digital companies to explore the role of digital platforms in the legislative process. Discussions will range from data transparency to constituent services, public correspondence, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, committee hearings, and the broader legislative process.
“For the sixth time, the Congressional community is gathering to brainstorm and create new tools so Congress can better meet the needs of Americans,” said Speaker Johnson. “With some of the best minds and innovators at our disposal, the Congressional Hackathon is leveraging artificial intelligence, information technology, and data to modernize Congress, improve the legislative process, and ensure government is more efficient and more effective. I’m happy to host this year’s Hackathon with Leader Jeffries and grateful for all those who are participating.”
“I am pleased to co-host this year’s Congressional Hackathon with Speaker Johnson, an event focused on strengthening our democracy and making Congress more transparent and accessible to the American people,” said Leader Jeffries. “For the past 13 years, the Hackathon has given policymakers the opportunity to engage with leaders focused on finding ways to use technology to better serve the people we are privileged to represent. As new technology is developed outside the halls of Congress, we must be equipped to simultaneously innovate. We look forward to bringing together civic-minded people and digital experts to help modernize Congress, improve our ability to serve and inspire technological innovation.”
“With its emphasis on innovation and collaboration, the Congressional Hackathon represents the best of what public service can be,” Chief Administrative Officer Szpindor said. “We are honored to be returning as co-hosts for this year’s event alongside Speaker Johnson and Democratic Leader Jeffries. As an organization, the CAO is steadfastly focused on exploring and implementing technologies that will empower House Members and staff to continue their mission to serve the American people. We look forward to building on the success of past years Hackathons and are eager to continue our work to modernize government.”
Sixth Congressional Hackathon Details:
Hosts: Speaker Mike Johnson, Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Chief Administrative Officer Catherine Szpindor
Location: United States Capitol, CVC Auditorium
Date: September 19, 2024
Time: 1:00pm – 6:00pm ET
The first hour will include brief remarks from Bipartisan House Leadership, House Chief Administrator Szpindor, and updates on the digital and data efforts within the Legislative Branch. Participants will then be invited to break into different groups to actively brainstorm and explore new ideas on how to leverage technology to improve and open the legislative branch. Group topics will likely include legislative workflow and data, constituent casework and services, community communication and engagement, and artificial intelligence. Participants are encouraged to brainstorm new ideas in these areas in advance of the event.
All participants will reconvene for the final hour to hear recommendations and ideas from each group.
Many of the ideas that were developed during the three prior Congressional Hackathons have since been adopted by Congress. Find a detailed recap of those events, including in-depth descriptions of the resulting ideas, in the following summary reports:
2011 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video
2015 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video
2017 Congressional Hackathon summary report, highlights video, and CSPAN coverage.
2022 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video
2023 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video
This event is open to the public, but all participants are required to register in advance.
###