Earlier this week, the bipartisan Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (or modernizing committee for short) held its first public hearing that solicited testimony from sitting members of Congress. Committee Chair Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA), Vice Chair Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA), and other members of the committee heard proposals from 35 of their Republican and Democratic House colleagues about
Read MoreRepublican Rep. John Katko (NY-24) co-sponsored bipartisan legislation that ensures the public knows who is trying to influence their vote in elections and prevents lawmakers from abusing leadership PAC funds. “Everyone has a right to know who’s spending money to influence elections. We are heartened to see Representative Katko be a part of meaningful bipartisan reform efforts in the House
Read MoreLast week, House Democrats introduced the most robust package of democracy reforms proposed in a generation as their lead priority for the 116th Congress. It is an incredibly heartening and hopeful sign for all of us concerned about the weakening of democracy at home and rapid rise of authoritarianism abroad. But we need more than good policy ideas at this
Read MoreIssue One – in partnership with the Rebuild Congress Initiative – has been aggressively pushing for the creation of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress that was just passed with overwhelming bipartisan support from 418 Republicans and Democrats who all acknowledge that the legislative branch needs to be brought into the 21st century. “The House Democratic leadership should
Read MoreThe Congressional Reformers Caucus, the first organization of its kind on Capitol Hill dedicated to political reform ideas and legislation, has grown its ranks to 32 Representatives of the 115th Congress — 16 Republicans and 16 Democrats. The Caucus aims to address the roots of dysfunction in Congress and the current political system and is co-chaired by two members from
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U.S. Senate candidates will begin electronically filing their campaign finance reports in October thanks to a provision contained in an appropriations bill signed into law today by President Donald Trump. The provision — supported by a bipartisan majority of sitting senators and broad coalition of more than 20 advocacy organizations led by Issue One — was first introduced in the
Read MoreToday, Issue One welcomes veteran advocate Ethan Rome as Chief of Communications, Marketing and Strategic Initiatives. “As Issue One continues to grow, we’re pleased to bring on Ethan who has a sterling track record of innovative and successful strategic campaigns,” said Issue One CEO Nick Penniman. “His skills will be invaluable as we gear up for the clear challenge over
Read MoreToday, the Senate Appropriations Committee and House Appropriations Committee announced an agreement on H.R. 5895, the minibus appropriations package for fiscal year 2019 comprised of the Energy and Water Development; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; and Legislative Branch Appropriations Acts. Issue One urges the House and Senate to act swiftly to approve this legislation in the wake of the news
Read MoreAs President Trump and the White House prepare to convene the National Security Council to discuss election security, Issue One CEO Nick Penniman issued the following statement: “Election security should include efforts to increase transparency in our political system. The Honest Ads Act, which would do just that for online political advertising, is waiting for more leadership and attention. We
Read MoreAll week, transparency advocates around the country, including Issue One, have been observing Sunshine Week — an annual affair that honors open government and the public’s right to access information. One easy way that Congress could commemorate Sunshine Week this year would be to pass the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act (S. 298) — a bipartisan bill that would not
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