A new staff association is looking at ways to reform the staff workplace from the inside. The Modernization Staff Association (MSA) is a bipartisan group of staffers whose goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Congressional staff by modernizing systems that affect their day-to-day operations. The association held its latest meeting last week, focusing on onboarding new members, defining their mission, and creating resources guides for staffers. Roughly 50 staffers attended the meeting. The association continues to grow, with a total of 82 members, all House staffers. According to MSA, they encourage Senate staffers to join as well.
Earlier this month, MSA sent a list of recommendations to the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress that they believe will help improve logistical and technical challenges around the Hill. Some recommendations include centralizing the process for Hill room reservations, creating a one-stop portal for all mandatory trainings for all House employees and interns, and administering an e-cosponsorship system for bills and sign-on letters. While some of these recommendations are already being considered by the Select Committee, the push from MSA further emphasizes the greater effort for administrative modernization.
The association welcomes other groups to get involved as well. MSA is co-hosting a ‘Congress Meets Coding’ event with Code for America on Wednesday, March 11, to brainstorm how both groups can work to better support each other to further modernize public service.
If you are a staffer looking to join the association, reach out to Ananda Bhatia at Ananda.Bhatia@mail.house.gov. Make sure to RSVP to the ‘Congress Meets Coding’ event on March 11.
— Written by Taylor J. Swift
