Sign-on letters

Issue One joins crosspartisan coalition in calling for increased congressional capacity


Issue One has joined nearly 70 organizations, individuals, and good government advocates calling for increased investment for congressional capacity, specifically calling for an increase of 10%, or $530.9 million, in funding for the legislative branch. 

“Over the decades, funding for Congress and its support offices and agencies have significantly lagged behind increases in discretionary spending for the rest of the federal government, creating a yawning gap between Congress’s legislative, oversight, and constituent service responsibilities and its capacity to meet those responsibilities,” states the new letter, which was sent to congressional leaders today and whose signatories include the Bipartisan Policy Center, Demand Progress, Democracy 21, FreedomWorks, Lincoln Network, Niskanen Center, R Street Institute, Project on Government Oversight (POGO), Protect Democracy, and Public Citizen. 

“We firmly believe that dedicating resources to build a stronger, more capable Congress is of key importance to our democracy and is necessary for it to fulfill its constitutional responsibilities,” the letter further states

It continues: “Congress must have sufficient resources to lead in federal policymaking, provide services for constituents, and conduct oversight that roots out waste, fraud, abuse, and malfeasance. It must also modernize its information technology and digital infrastructure to meet these challenges. We respectfully urge you to increase the share of funding available for the Legislative branch by an additional 10 percent.”

The letter was sent to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Richard Shelby (R-AL), chair and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, as well as Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Kay Granger (R-TX), chair and ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee.

Read the full letter here.

The full list of signatories of this letter are as follows:

  1. American Family Voices
  2. American Library Association
  3. American Principles Project
  4. Bipartisan Policy Center Action
  5. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
  6. College to Congress
  7. Congressional Management Foundation
  8. Defending Rights & Dissent
  9. Demand Progress
  10. Democracy Fund Voice
  11. Democracy 21
  12. DotGov.com
  13. Fix the Court
  14. Free Government Information
  15. FreedomWorks
  16. Government Accountability Project
  17. Government Information Watch
  18. GovTrack.us
  19. Issue One
  20. Lincoln Network
  21. NALEO Educational Fund
  22. National Security Counselors
  23. Niskanen Center
  24. Open The Government
  25. Other98
  26. Partnership for Public Service
  27. Pay Our Interns Action
  28. Project On Government Oversight (POGO)
  29. Protect Democracy
  30. Public Citizen
  31. R Street Institute
  32. Rachel Carson Council
  33. Revolving Door Project
  34. Senior Executives Association
  35. Social Security Works 
  36. TechFreedom
  37. Union of Concerned Scientists
  38. X-Lab
  39. Norman Ornstein, American Enterprise Institute
  40. Robert Cook-Deegan, Arizona State University
  41. Mahmud Farooque, Arizona State University
  42. Lorelei Kelly, Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown
  43. Mike Miesen, Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs
  44. Jon Peha, Carnegie Mellon University
  45. Matt Glassman, Claremont McKenna College
  46. Hebah Kassem, Congressional Progressive Caucus Center
  47. Alex Howard, Digital Democracy Project
  48. Jillian Grennan, Duke University
  49. Kenny Gutierrez, Electronic Frontier Foundation
  50. Jennifer Pahlka, Former US Deputy Chief Technology Officer
  51. Rick Shapiro, Former Executive Director of the Congressional Management Foundation and Former Senior Consultant for Democracy Fund
  52. Beth Simone Noveck, The Governance Lab
  53. Richard Skinner, Johns Hopkins University
  54. Brian Baird, Member of Congress (Retired)
  55. Lee Drutman, New America
  56. Robert Seamans, New York University
  57. Caroline Wagner, Ohio State University
  58. Marci Harris, POPVOX Inc
  59. Sarah E. Hunt, Rainey Center Freedom Project
  60. Laura Manley, Technology and Public Purpose Project
  61. Maurice Turner, Turner Consulting, LLC
  62. Richard Forno, UMBC
  63. Brendan P. Kelly, University of Alaska Fairbanks
  64. Kevin M. Esterling, University of California, Riverside
  65. Kathleen Clark, Washington University

Note: Individuals’ affiliations are listed for identification purposes only