WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) and Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) today announced details of the upcoming Fourth Congressional Hackathon that will take place on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the CVC Auditorium of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC.  

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, social media, committee hearings and the broader legislative process.

“We are living through a period of profound change,” Leader Hoyer said. “Web and mobile technologies have transformed much of our lives. We are all more experienced with online meetings than we ever could have imagined, including hundreds of virtual committee hearings here in Congress. All this change is an opportunity to rethink, rebuild, and improve the way our institutions use technology, including the United States Congress. This Hackathon will bring together a diverse group of experts to explore how we can best take advantage of these exciting new technologies. I was proud to co-host the three prior Congressional Hackathons, each of which resulted in tangible progress, and I am pleased to host this event again with Leader McCarthy so that we can work together to open up and modernize government.”

Leader McCarthy stated, “I believe in a model of constant improvement— especially when it comes to Congress and providing the best possible user-facing experience for the constituents we serve. Bringing together civic-minded individuals both inside and outside government, the Congressional Hackathon draws upon the wisdom of our citizens in an effort to make the People’s House more transparent, efficient, and accountable. New ideas and smart use of technology are key to our goal of improving the legislative process so we can better meet the needs of the American people. I look forward to hosting this event again with Leader Hoyer and building upon the successes of previous Hackathons.”

Fourth Congressional Hackathon Details

Hosts: Majority Leader Hoyer and Republican Leader McCarthy

Location: United States Capitol, CVC Auditorium

Date: April 6, 2022

Time: 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The first hour will include brief remarks from Leader Hoyer, Leader McCarthy, 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 modernizing Congressional hearings. 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: