Archives for March 2014

4/04 Day panel and happy hour

The Congressional Data Coalition is hosting a panel and happy hour on April 4 (“4/04 Day”) sponsored by the R Street Institute and CREW, and organized with help from other CDC members. Register for the panel here: http://404day.eventbrite.com. And for the happy hour here: http://404reception.eventbrite.com.

Here’s the event description and list of participants:

Two decades ago Congress began publishing on the Internet, revolutionizing public access to legislative information. While the technology we use has evolved since the 90s, Congress has not always kept up.

In the meantime, public-minded entrepreneurs have used congressional data to alert people to important bills, keep track of votes, and put citizens in contact with their elected representatives.

While some modernization has occurred, further improvements to Congress’s publishing methods are urgently needed. And with the looming switch from THOMAS to Congress.gov, many organizations and individuals who depend on the available data will be left in the dark, endangering the public’s ability see what its government is doing.

Join our panel of data experts for a discussion of how far we have come, and how far we have yet to go, to fulfill the promise of lawmaking in the open.

Featuring:
Jim Harper, Global Policy Counsel, Bitcoin Foundation; Senior Fellow, Cato Institute (Moderator)
Steve Dwyer, Digital Director & Policy Advisor to Rep. Steny Hoyer
Josh Tauberer, Founder, Govtrack.Us
Nick Schaper, Senior Vice President, Engage
Kirsten Gullickson, Senior Systems Analyst, Clerk of the House of Representatives

Seeking Google Fellow to help run CDC

The R Street Institute (a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, DC) is accepting applications for its 2014 Google Policy Fellowship in technology policy. R Street’s Google Fellow will have the opportunity to contribute op-eds and blog posts, work on overseeing coalition efforts, and help manage digital and social media projects relating to tech policy. In addition, our Google Fellow will have the opportunity to help run the Congressional Data Coalition and coordinate efforts between members.

Apply here for R Street’s position. Read the full terms and conditions here.

Other CDC members offering the fellowship include EFF and TechFreedom.

Congressional Data Coalition writes to House appropriators

In a new letter to the House this month, we joined 18 other organizations and individuals in calling for access to the legislative data on bill status that Congress has but won’t share.

The letter was sent by the new Congressional Data Coalition, formed this month of citizens, public interest groups, trade associations, and businesses who champion greater governmental transparency through improved public access to and long-term preservation of congressional information.Continue Reading