United States Committee on House Administration

The Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation Seeks Input on the Future of Congressional Modernization

Mon, 215 Aug 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON: The Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation Chairwoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05) and Ranking Member Norma Torres (CA-35) are seeking actionable ideas to modernize how the House and the Legislative Branch, generally, work on behalf of the American People. The Subcommittee is particularly interested in bold, creative ideas that will help set the future direction of modernization in the House. Ideas can be submitted using this form or by visiting the Subcommittee’s website. The window for submissions is from August 3 to August 31, 2026. The Subcommittee will provide an update on submissions later this fall.

Over the course of the 118th and 119th Congresses, the Subcommittee has pursued a broad range of new initiatives focused on more contemporary issues. As new and emerging technologies continue to rapidly change the way people work and communicate, and as workplace issues like accessibility, staff recruitment and retention, employee benefits, systems administration, data management, procurement, and more continue to evolve, the House needs to stay current or risk falling behind.

In soliciting new modernization ideas from internal and external stakeholders today, the Subcommittee hopes to begin building a modernization roadmap for tomorrow.

Background:

The Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation was created at the beginning of the 118th Congress to implement recommendations made by the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. The Subcommittee, led by Chairwoman Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Ranking Member Norma Torres (D-CA), has successfully implemented or closed the vast majority of the Select Committee’s 202 bipartisan recommendations to improve how Congress works for the American People. Of the 31 remaining open recommendations, 18 fall within the jurisdiction of other committees or require action by House leadership.

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Steil, Jordan, Lee, and Van Drew Demand Answers from New Jersey Officials After Admitting 6,600 Non-Citizens were Added to State’s Voter Rolls

Mon, 215 Aug 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON: Today, Committee on House Administration (CHA) Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01), Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (OH-04), CHA Vice Chair Laurel Lee (FL-15), and Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02) sent a letter to New Jersey’s chief elections officer, Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell, seeking documents and communications after the State admitted to adding 6,600 non-citizens to their voter rolls.

Approximately 400 of those non-citizens have voted in an election.

Below is an excerpt pulled from the letter:

“The Committees are concerned about of the application of federal law in New Jersey as it pertains to accurate voter registration, as well as the effect that New Jersey’s failure to identify and remove noncitizens from its voter rolls has on the civil liberties of American voters and their ability to elect their representatives."

“Compliance with the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), and the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) is paramount to defend fundamental American civil liberties and electoral integrity.”

The State has until August 17 to comply with this request. Read the full letter here.

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Chairman Steil Requests Classified Briefings on Non-Citizen Voting and Foreign Interference in American Elections

Thu, 211 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON: Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) wrote to the Acting Director of National Intelligence, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Secretary of Homeland Security requesting Member-level, classified briefings to discuss non-citizen voting and foreign interference in American elections.

These requests follow President Donald J. Trump’s recent address to the nation, which highlighted serious concerns about the security of American elections.

Read the three letters here.

The below excerpts are pulled from the Chairman’s letter to FBI Director Kash Patel:

“The Committee on House Administration (the Committee) has oversight of federal elections and is focused on ensuring that federal elections are secure and for American citizens only.”

“President Trump’s recent address to the nation about potential foreign election interference included that the country’s voting machines may be vulnerable to foreign disruption... The speech, accompanied by declassified information, raises serious concerns about the security of the nation’s elections.”

“The Committee therefore requests a Member-level, classified briefing from the FBI to discuss if and how foreign malign actors interfere in American elections, and to help inform potential legislative reforms.”

Just the News first covered the story. Read more here.

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Chairwoman Bice Requests Funding for House AI Agent and Secures Funding for House Rules Digital Infrastructure Modernization

Tue, 209 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation Chairwoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05) formally requested funding to support the development and implementation of My Intelligent Assistant, a secure and customizable AI agent connected to data sources throughout the House, and announced that funding has been secured for PRISM, a database application that modernizes the digital infrastructure critical to House Rules Committee operations, as well as the overall legislative process.

My Intelligent Assistant, or Mia, is designed to assist House staff with essential tasks, find information quickly, interact with House systems and data, and support the development of customized skills and tools that help offices work more efficiently and effectively.

PRISM will replace the Rules Committee’s outdated legacy system with a leading-edge, secure platform capable of handling increased amendment intake, data management across multiple workflows, automated document generation, statutory reporting, analytical outputs, and more.

“The Subcommittee is committed to creating an environment where staff are encouraged and enabled to build state-of-the-art tools that help us work better for our constituents,” said Chairwoman Bice. “House staff are already building AI tools for managing schedules, summarizing bills, monitoring floor activity, and more. Mia will accelerate the kind of ongoing innovation that’s needed to ensure that Congress remains current. PRISM will also help us work better for our constituents by ensuring that we can consistently and reliably represent their views in the legislative process.”

Background

The Modernization Initiatives Account was established in the FY 2021 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act to support improvements to House operations. Since its creation, it has funded multiple projects across the House with the goal of enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of Congress and highlighting the need for ongoing institutional modernization.

Funding requests are subject to approval by the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee and the full House Appropriations Committee.

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Subcommittee on Modernization & Innovation Announces Launch of House AI Innovators Pipeline

Tue, 209 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON – Today, the Subcommittee on Modernization & Innovation, in partnership with the House AI Center, announced the official launch of the House AI Innovators Pipeline—a new initiative designed to empower House staff to build custom applications and tools for congressional operations.

The House AI Innovators Pipeline will enable staff to access the newly created House AI Center sandbox, a secure environment for experimentation and development. Staff participating in the pipeline will also receive hands-on support from House AI Center technical experts, who will shadow and mentor them throughout the development process.

"Our Subcommittee is committed to creating an environment where staff are encouraged and enabled to build state-of-the-art tools that help us work better for our constituents," said Chairwoman Stephanie Bice (OK-05). "The House AI Innovators Pipeline will accelerate ongoing innovation and ensure Congress remains current in a rapidly changing world."

The pipeline builds on the Full Committee’s bipartisan efforts to modernize House operations, including the deployment of secure AI tools, custom training courses, and the establishment of the House AI Center. Staff have already begun developing AI-powered solutions for managing schedules, summarizing bills, monitoring floor activity, and more.

Background:

The House AI Center was established at the Committee on House Administration’s recommendation to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in 2024 to provide technical guidance, training, and secure development environments for Members and staff. The Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation has since worked with the CAO in staffing up the House AI Center. The new sandbox capability and staff shadowing program are the latest steps in fostering responsible, innovative use of AI across the House.

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Top Takeaways from Full Committee Hearing on the National Museum of American History

Fri, 205 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, the Committee on House Administration held a Full Committee Hearing titled, “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History."

Witnesses:

Anthea M. Hartig, Ph.D., National Museum of American History
Mike Gonzalez, The Heritage Foundation
Jeff Anderson, Ph.D., American Main Street Initiative
David Blight, Ph.D., Yale University

In case you missed it, here are the top takeaways:

1. Activism and Advocacy at the Museum?

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01): Do you believe that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to advocacy and activism?

Anthea M. Hartig: No, sir, I do not.

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01): I want to be clear on this. You don't believe that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy?

Anthea M. Hartig: I believe perhaps you're quoting from some of my public speeches.

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01): 2020 University of California, Riverside, virtual lecture, which you said that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy. You said that in 2020. And so I just want to be clear on the record that in the video that I watched, you can watch it on YouTube, everybody at home, we'll put it up for folks. But you're now saying that you don't believe that that is one of your roles. Has your position changed on this topic?

Anthea M. Hartig: Thank you. I better understand your line of querying. I think what's important for me is that...

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01): I only have five minutes, so I just want to be direct. Just real clear. You just answered my question differently than you answered it five years ago, positions can change. So I just want to understand, in 2020, did you believe that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy? In 2020 did you believe that?

Anthea M. Hartig: So one of the roles of an historian...

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01): Just yes or no. In 2020, it was real straightforward and for the record, you said this, so it should be an easy yes. It shouldn't be complicated on my side, but maybe it's complicated on your side. In 2020, I'm not even asking what you believe today. In 2020, did you believe that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship with advocacy and activism? Yes?

Anthea M. Hartig: One of the key things a historian does, especially at the National Museum of American History, is to tie threads together.

Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01): I'm going to just note you're filibustering on the answer. You said it. In 2020, you said it, so I'm going to assume in 2020 you believed it unless you said things you don't believe. So in 2026, as we sit here today, I'll ask you for the record one additional time. Today, do you believe that one of your roles is connecting research and scholarship to activism and advocacy?

Anthea M. Hartig: As a historian, I believe that intellectually we can connect those two together. Absolutely.

Click the image or here to view Chairman Steil's Q&A.

2. Telling the Complete Story of American History

Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15): It was said earlier today that President Trump wants our parks and museums to tell an inaccurate story of American history. So I believe it's incumbent upon us to begin by actually thinking about the story of American history and whether what we pursue here today is, in fact, in any way inaccurate. We've learned that the museum has a number of directives, goals, things that we've heard about this morning, one of which in our materials is the interpretive plan to frame exhibits and curate exhibits, whatever the topic, to include a discussion of things such as race and identity, gender and sexuality, environmental change, immigration, economic inequality. And so I'd like to start with you, Mr. Gonzalez, and get back to the idea of what is an accurate or inaccurate story of American history. Would it be an inaccurate presentation of American history if our museum instead made an effort to present to those who came to see it, an interpretation that involved our founding documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the separation of powers. Would that be an inaccurate telling of American history to focus on those things?

Mike Gonzalez: Representative Lee, no, it wouldn't. I actually agreed with almost everything Representative Morelle said, until the part where you got to the Smithsonian. I think all of history should be presented. The horrors of slavery, the absolute blight that this was in our history, but also the fact that the founders created this system to deal with it, that men marched to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, saying, 'as he died to make men holy, let us die to make them free.' That inspiring story also needs to be part of the horrors of slavery.

Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15): Correct. Not just our failures and our shortcomings, but also the efforts that were made to correct them.

Click the image or here to view Rep. Lee's Q&A.

3. Historian Can't Answer a Basic Historical Question

Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03): Mr. Blight, I was looking at your CV. You've written a lot on slavery. Who was the first person to own a slave in the United States?

David Blight: The first person?

Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03): The first person to legally own a slave in the United States.

David Blight: I'm not sure I can give you a name.

Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03): Well, you should know this. You're the scholar that has researched all of this. Anthony Johnson. Why would you not know that?

Click the image or here to view Rep. Murphy's Q&A.

ICYMI: Chairman Steil Joins The Ingraham Angle to Discuss Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History

Thu, 204 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Last night, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) joined The Ingraham Angle on Fox News to discuss the growing political activism by leadership of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Watch the Chairman’s interview above or click here

Chairman Steil on current leadership at the museum: “This hearing was only the first step. What we have shown the American people is that the director of the American History Museum is driving forward political activism rather than telling our story. The reason for that is, they don’t want to tell the American story that would instill patriotism in the next generation. They would rather put forward displays that divide Americans against themselves. This is what we saw time and again, when she refused to answer the questions or when we highlighted the odd and grotesque displays that she had put forward at the museum.”

Chairman Steil on the museum straying from its original mission: “The Smithsonian has strayed dramatically from its founding, even the more recent founding of the Museum of American History. When President Johnson was there at the ceremony breaking ground, he talked about how this museum would be used to instill patriotism in Americans, yet the director of the National History Museum claims that it is complicated to love America. We should love our country unequivocally and continue to work to make it the greatest country in the world, which it is. And so they are driving forward a political agenda, and that is wildly problematic as it sits there with taxpayer dollars.”

Chairman Steil on next steps: “You’ve got to do two things. You have to address the Board of Regents at the Smithsonian and have these conversations directly with the director. Two, the federal government is a major funder of the Smithsonian Institution. At the end of the day, money matters. And so as we go through the appropriations process for next year, this hearing I think is absolutely essential to show and discuss whether or not we should be funding these types of programs that the Smithsonian is putting forward.”

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Full Committee Hearing: “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History”

Wed, 203 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EST

On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 10:00am ET, the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History.” The hearing will be held in room 1310 of the Longworth House Office Building.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk of the Committee, Kristen Monterroso, at Kristen.Monterroso@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-8281. For media inquiries, please contact the Communications Director, Walter Smoloski, at Walter.Smoloski@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-8281.

Watch live here

ICYMI: Chairman Steil Joins Squawk Box Ahead of Historic House Vote on Stop Insider Trading Act

Wed, 203 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - This morning, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) joined CNBC's Squawk Box to discuss the Stop Insider Trading Act ahead of Wednesday's full House vote on this historic legislation.

Watch the Chairman’s interview above or click here

Chairman Steil on the Stop Insider Trading Act: “The core of this bill is to prevent members and their immediate families from being able to profit off of any inside information they may garner while serving here in Washington. We do that by banning Members from buying individual companies' shares of stock. Period, full stop. If an individual has had a successful business career, they come into Congress and they had savings, they're allowed to make that sale, but it requires a seven day advance notice. And then there's real teeth associated with this. Ten percent of the sale or $2000, whichever is greater, and a disgorgement of profit. The focus here is making sure that Members of Congress are here serving the American people. I'm of the belief that if you want to day trade stocks there's a place for that, and it's where you are in New York, it's Wall Street. If you're coming to Washington you should be here serving the American people. I think this bill accomplishes the goal of preventing Members from profiting off of insider information. At the same time it balances that with making sure that individuals from an array of backgrounds are still able to come and serve in Washington."

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House Passes Chairman Steil’s Stop Insider Trading Act

Wed, 203 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R.7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act on a bipartisan vote of 232-198.

“The Stop Insider Trading Act is a major step forward for ethics reform on Capitol Hill. It ensures no lawmaker can profit off of insider information,” said Chairman Steil. “I urge my Senate colleagues to quickly take it up and send it to President Trump’s desk.”

The final version of the legislation was combined with Chairman Steil’s Voter ID Act, which requires voters to present a valid photo ID when casting a ballot.

Watch Chairman Steil’s closing remarks on the House Floor in support of the bill here.

Watch Chairman Steil’s interview this morning on CNBC’s Squawk Box discussing the bill here.

Background

In January 2026, Chairman Steil introduced the Stop Insider Trading Act.

The legislation:

Bans Members, their spouses, and their dependent children from purchasing a security issued by a publicly traded company.

Requires Members of Congress to file a public notice at least 7 days, but no more than 14 days, in advance for each intended sale with the Clerk of the House of Representatives or Secretary of the Senate.

Penalties for a violation:

Requires the respective ethics committees to issue a fee equal to $2,000 or 10% of the value of the covered investment, whichever is greater.

Also requires forfeiture of any realized profit from a sale.

President Trump urged Congress to quickly pass this legislation during his 2026 State of the Union Address.

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Chairman Steil Leads Floor Debate on the Stop Insider Trading Act

Wed, 203 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) led debate on the House Floor in support of the Stop Insider Trading Act.

Click above or here to watch the Chairman’s remarks.

Chairman Steil's full remarks as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Stop Insider Trading Act.

There’s a lot of talk in this town about draining the swamp and cleaning up Washington.

Today, the rubber hits the road.

Good governance matters, and the Committee on House Administration is leading the way.

Under current law, Members of Congress are required to publicly disclose their stock trades.

But these disclosures lack details and are often filed months after a transaction.

This lack of transparency and the continued practice of Members purchasing stock is fueling public frustration.

It’s time we ban Members of Congress from being able to buy individual companies' shares of stock.

Doing so removes even the appearance of impropriety.

Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity to pass transformational Congressional ethics reform.

This is the first Congressional stock trading ban to receive a vote on the floor of the House.

Today, every American will know where their member stands.

If you want to day trade, there’s a place for that, it’s called Wall Street.

If you want to come to Washington, you should be working on behalf of the American people.

In addition, this bill also includes a commonsense proposal that we’ve advanced through the Committee on House Administration:

That’s voter ID.

Voter ID strengthens election integrity, is nonpartisan, and it's commonsense.

In this country, you have to show a photo ID to fly, open a bank account, buy beer, and more recently to enjoy never-ending pasta at Olive Garden.

But you don’t have to show an ID to vote in states like Minnesota, Illinois, California, and others.

We’re literally not doing the job of securing our elections when the easy task of photo ID is in front of us.

Mr. Speaker, it’s a simple concept: to vote in a federal election, you need to show a photo ID.

24 states already require a form of photo ID to vote.

This bill of course allows provisional voting if someone forgets their ID when they go to the polls.

Again, commonsense.

That’s why it’s so popular with the American people. They understand it. They know the need for this commonsense reform.

Photo ID will help strengthen election integrity, bolster voter confidence, and increase participation.

That’s a good thing for our democracy.

Mr. Speaker, these two proposals will clean up Washington and strengthen the integrity of our elections.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

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Chairman Steil Delivers Opening Remarks at Full Committee Hearing on the National Museum of American History

Wed, 203 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) opened today's Full Committee Hearing titled, “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History."

Click here to watch the Chairman's full opening remarks

Chairman Steil's full opening statement as prepared for delivery:

America has an incredible story to tell.

250 years ago, our forefathers declared independence from the British empire – and we won.

We launched into world history the first civilization dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Our constitution established a republican form of government, with checks and balances to protect that proposition.

We fought a civil war to preserve our union and finally free those in bondage.

Since then, we’ve revolutionized technology,

Liberated Europe,

And we even planted the American flag on the Moon.

The Smithsonian National Museum of American History was established by Congress to champion our story.

In 1953, the Smithsonian told Congress the museum would: "commemorate our heritage of freedom”

At the museum’s dedication ceremony in 1964, then-President Johnson said the museum would “foster patriotism.”

Unfortunately, today the museum has shifted its focus to political activism.

But don’t take my word for it.

One of our witnesses today is the museum’s Director, Dr. Anthea Hartig.

Dr. Hartig, you have said “history is a prime tool of social justice.”

You believe your role as a historian is to connect “research and scholarship to activism and advocacy.”

You even said “loving America is very complicated.”

Sadly, this isn’t just rhetoric.

You built that into the museum's exhibits.

You built it into the website to convey an ideological narrative that denigrates our founders, diminishes our achievements, and seeks to divide the American people.

The authors of the Domestic Policy Council report argued that museum visitors should be warned:

“The exhibits in this museum were prepared by people who don’t want you to love your country.”

If you read this detailed report, or if you just walk into the museum, it’s hard not to agree with that conclusion.

I’ll conclude with this: It's not only ok to love America. It is great to love America.

It's true, our history isn’t perfect.

But throughout this history, Americans have striven – even died – to get our nation closer to the ideals in our founding documents.

To create a more perfect union.

That requires introspection and honesty.

But it also requires gratitude, appreciation, and celebration of how revolutionary the American experience has been and continues to be.

The current focus of activism by leadership at the museum undermines that.

It’s unacceptable that American tax dollars are supporting that divisive work.

It’s time we allow the United States to speak for itself.

When its America that speaks, not elites or NPR, the world loves America – its success, its uniqueness, its exceptionalism.

When America’s story speaks for itself -- without ideological bias, political advocacy, or woke talking points -- America is loved and admired.

It’s time this museum returned to its core, founding mission when it was created: Fostering patriotism and telling our story of achievement.

Unfortunately the museum has strayed from its mission, and that is the focus of today's hearing.

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Chairman Steil Delivers Remarks in Support of Reconciliation 3.0

Wed, 203 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Today, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) delivered remarks on the House Floor in support of attaching the SAVE America Act to a third Reconciliation bill.

Click above or here to watch the Chairman’s remarks.

Chairman Steil's full remarks as prepared for delivery:

Mr. Speaker, we’re here today because we can advance commonsense election integrity.

House Republicans have pushed two key, commonsense reforms that are not yet across the line:

First, you should be a citizen to vote in this country, and you should have to prove that when you register.

Second, when you head to the polls to cast your ballot, you should have to verify your identity with photo ID.

Mr. Speaker, now is the time for election integrity.

It was just revealed in New Jersey that 6,600 non-citizens were admitted and registered to vote.

According to the New York Times, nearly 400 of those non-citizens cast a ballot.

Federal law requires states to give voter registration materials to everyone when they get a driver’s license.

That's a problem.

During the Biden Administration, millions of illegal aliens poured into our country.

And in many blue states of course, they can get a driver’s license.

What’s to stop them from registering to vote?

Currently, it's by checking a box that you're not a citizen.

That’s not enough.

Stories like what happened in New Jersey undermine confidence in our elections.

It's time we take action.

Our commonsense proposals will boost voter confidence, increase voter participation, and ensure that it remains easy to vote but hard to cheat.

We have a real opportunity before us to strengthen election integrity in all 50 states.

I urge passage of this resolution.

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Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation Hearing: “Modernizing Public Access to Legislative Data and Information"

Tue, 202 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EST

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, at 2:00pm ET, the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation of the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing titled, “Modernizing Public Access to Legislative Data and Information.” The hearing will be held in room 1310 of the Longworth House Office Building.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk of the Committee, Kristen Monterroso, at Kristen.Monterroso@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-8281. For media inquiries, please contact the Communications Director, Michael Donatello, at Michael.Donatello@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-8281.

Watch live here.

Subcommittee Chair Bice Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Modernizing Public Access to Legislative Data and Information

Tue, 202 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Chair Stephanie Bice (OK-05) opened today's Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation Hearing titled, “Modernizing Public Access to Legislative Data and Information.”

Chair Bice's full opening statement as prepared for delivery:

The title of today’s hearing is “Modernizing Public Access to Legislative Data and Information.”

Last December, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the future of constituent engagement, and the big takeaway was that we need to keep pace with the way people communicate outside of Congress or we risk losing the ability to connect with the people we need to hear from most.

I think we can all agree that sending form letters and emails to constituents who are using the latest AI tools and technologies doesn’t cut it. We need to meet our constituents where they’re at and communicate like they communicate.

The good news is that the Subcommittee is actively working with the House Digital Service to make that happen. Following our hearing in December, the Subcommittee secured funding from the Modernization Initiatives Account for a major new project that reimagines constituent engagement as dynamic rather than static and stuck in time.

The project will pave the way for Members to easily access a wide range of innovative and secure technologies for communicating with their constituents across multiple platforms.

And as the way people communicate evolves, so will the technologies and tools available to Members. I’m really excited to see this project get off the ground.

At the same time, I know we need to do a lot more to better connect with the people we serve to the People’s House. It’s one thing for us to reach out to our constituents, but it’s another thing for them to reach out to the House or Congress to find information and answers to their questions.

We need to think about their “user journey” and what it looks like. They will probably begin with a search engine query that directs them to House.gov or Congress.gov.

Once they get to those sites, is it easy for them to find what they’re looking for?

Is information presented in a way that makes sense, regardless of how much they know about Congress?

Are the search tools on the sites powered by AI so that queries don’t have to contain specific words or phrases?

I’m afraid the answer to all of these questions is no. Before the hearing today, I spent some time on both sites to get a sense of what constituents would experience and my overall impression was that they’d likely be overwhelmed by the amount of information on both landing pages and frustrated by the search tool capabilities.

This is not the experience we want them to have. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and so these “entryway” sites matter a lot. They should be the digital voice of representative democracy, not a long list of hyperlinks.

The challenge of figuring out where to find information extends to Members and staff, as well. There are over 600 sites within the House.gov domain, about 70 of which belong to House officers and House support entities.

Massive amounts of legislative data and information are spread across these sites, making it difficult to know where to find what you’re looking for. And because different sites sometimes have different versions of the same data, figuring out which data to use is also confusing.

If you want the most up-to-date information available, you have to continually monitor and refresh your screen because most of these sites don’t have automated, real-time alert systems. This means that staff who are tasked with tracking the floor calendar or bill status updates are tied to their screens, which strikes me as the opposite of efficiency.

These challenges explain why House staff have taken matters into their own hands and built AI tools that automate these tedious tasks and alert staff of any updates or changes in real time.

And as we learned at our recent full committee hearing on CRS and AI use, House staff have also built AI tools that summarize bills, provide non-partisan bill analysis, find related bills, and much more.

The demand is clearly there, and staff are not going to wait for the House, the Library, or CRS to build the tools they need to do their jobs better.

We want to support and encourage these efforts because they help the House stay current in a world where ongoing innovation and change are the norm.

We also want to ensure that the House and the Library are capable of adapting and innovating in ways that meet current and future user needs.

The data and information that various House websites and Congress.gov maintain are essential to legislative branch functions. But the websites risk becoming obsolete as more and more users seek platforms and tools that can perform searches, complex tasks, and analyses quicker and better.

There’s a lot of opportunity here to reimagine how we make the House and the work it does make sense to the American People. I’m looking forward to learning more about current and potential efforts to enhance the public user experience and exploring some innovative ideas for making the digital voice of Congress more meaningful and accessible.

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Chairman Steil Testifies Before Rules Committee in Support of the Stop Insider Trading Act

Mon, 201 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) testified before the House Rules Committee in support of the Stop Insider Trading Act.

Click here to watch the Chairman’s full testimony.

Chairman Steil's full statement as prepared for delivery:

Chairwoman Foxx, Ranking Member McGovern, and Members of the Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify today in support of HR 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act.

I would also like to thank Speaker Johnson, Leader Scalise, Whip Emmer and their teams for their commitment to getting this commonsense bill to the floor.

Also want to thank a handful of our colleagues who have been at the front and center of this debate including Representatives Chip Roy, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tim Burchett, Anna Paulina Luna, and others for their feedback and support throughout this process.

Before the Committee today is a Rules Committee Print which combines the Stop Insider Trading Act with another commonsense measure our Committee
has advanced – the Voter ID Act.

Together, these bills will clean up Congress and strengthen election integrity.

I’ll begin by discussing the second section, which addresses lawmaker stock trading.

This section ensures that lawmakers cannot use their positions to profit off insider information they may garner while serving in Congress.

Under the bill, Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependent children are prohibited from purchasing securities issued by publicly traded companies.

To sell a stock, Members are required to provide public disclosure at least 7 days in advance to the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate.

The penalties for violations are steep.

Members will be assessed a fine equal to $2,000 or 10% of the value of the transaction, whichever is greater.

In addition, violators must forfeit any realized gains from a profitable sale.

The legislation is critical to restoring public trust in this institution.

Nearly 15 years ago, Congress passed the STOCK Act, which requires lawmakers to publicly disclose their stock trades.

However, these disclosure rules lack detail and can be filed a month after a transaction.

This, coupled with increased attention to Members’ trades in particular by social media accounts, has fueled public frustration.

I believe it’s time we just stop allowing members to buy new stock.

Doing so removes the appearance of impropriety all together.

Americans should be confident their lawmakers are working for them, not their own stock portfolios.

If someone wants to trade stocks for a living, they should go to Wall Street. If you're here in Washington, you should be working on behalf of the American people.

The reforms in the Stop Insider Trading Act are commonsense – that’s why they’re so overwhelmingly popular.

I’ll now turn to the Voter ID section.

Madam Chair, you may have seen the big news over the weekend. Never-Ending pasta is back at Olive Garden.

I used to work at Olive Garden so this hit close to home.

To safeguard the integrity of their pasta program, Olive Garden has implemented photo ID requirements.

However, in jurisdictions across this country like Illinois, California, and Minnesota, an individual can go to the polls on election day and cast a ballot – without providing confirmation of their identity.

In other words, Madam Chair, we are protecting our breadsticks, more than our ballots, in jurisdictions across this country.

Our Voter ID Act implements a commonsense election integrity measure by requiring voters to show photo ID when casting a ballot in federal elections.

This is another commonsense policy – again, that’s why it’s so popular with the American people.

24 states require a photo ID to vote.

This bill makes that the standard nationwide.

Today, we have a real opportunity to clean up Washington and increase Americans' confidence in our elections.

I encourage all committee members to support this legislation and I look forward to your questions.

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ICYMI: Chairman Steil Joins Mornings with Maria to Discuss Congressional Stock Trading and Reconciliation 3.0.

Fri, 198 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - This morning, Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01) joined Mornings with Maria to discuss the Stop Insider Trading Act, which is headed to the House floor for a vote next week, as well as House Republican efforts to attach the SAVE America Act to Reconciliation 3.0.

Watch the Chairman’s interview above or click here

Chairman Steil on Reconciliation 3.0: “I would love to see us get the entire SAVE America Act done and across the line. The House of Representatives has done its job. It is our frustration that the Senate continues to fail to get this done, but inside a reconciliation structure there are ways to incentivize states to do this or require states to do this as well. We need to make real and substantive progress in election integrity, in particular making sure states are vetting whether individuals are citizens or noncitizens and indicating that on drivers' licenses. This is a huge opportunity to make sure states that are giving drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants, like Illinois or New York or California, that we are vetting that out and preventing them from voting. Further, there are already 23 states that have a really good voter ID law on the books, 36 states in total have some form of it and other states like California have it as a ballot initiative coming up. We have an opportunity to also use some of these funds to incentivize or force states to get voter ID legislation on the books between now and the election.”

Chairman Steil on the Stop Insider Trading Act: “This is our opportunity to make a real and substantive step forward as it relates to ethics in the United States House of Representatives and Congress writ large. It’s my view that if you come to Washington, D.C. you shouldn’t be trading stocks day in and day out. If you want to do that there’s a place for it, it’s called Wall Street. If you’re coming to Washington, you should solely be working on behalf of the American people. There’s a lot of concerns with Members of Congress trading individual shares of stock. I think the answer is straightforward. Prevent Members of Congress and ban Members of Congress from trading stock while serving on behalf of the American people. The American people deserve to know with confidence that their members are not leveraging inside information for profit. My legislation accomplishes that goal. I was excited that the President of the United States called that out in his State of the Union. Vice President JD Vance came and spoke to Republicans at our conference meeting earlier this week saying, ‘let’s move this bill forward.’ It will be on the floor next week and every person in the United States of America will know where their representative stands. Do they think Members of Congress should be trading stocks, or do they agree with me, President Trump, and countless others that Members of Congress should not be trading stock while serving in Congress.”

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Subcommittee on Elections Hearing: “Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress’s Role”

Wed, 196 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EST

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 2:00 pm ET, the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration will hold a hearing titled, “Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress’s Role.” The hearing will be held in room 1310 of the Longworth House Office Building.

If you have any questions, please contact the Clerk of the Committee, Kristen Monterroso, at Kristen.Monterroso@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-8281. For media inquiries, please contact the Communications Director, Michael Donatello, at Michael.Donatello@mail.house.gov or (202) 225-8281.

Watch live here.

Committee on House Administration Launches 2026 Election Observer Program

Wed, 196 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Today, the Committee on House Administration released the 2026 Election Observer Program training. This program deploys Congressional staff to election sites across the country to observe and report first-hand, factual information in Congressional elections.

“Staff deployed through the House Election Observer Program are our eyes and ears on the ground ensuring the integrity of Congressional elections,” said Chairman Bryan Steil (WI-01). “I’m excited for our Committee to launch this training for staff as we gear up for the November election.”

"As Chair of the Subcommittee on Elections, ensuring the integrity of our elections remains one of my highest priorities,” said Chair Laurel Lee (FL-15). “The House Election Observer Program helps promote transparency by providing trained Congressional observers with the opportunity to witness federal election administration firsthand and document the facts. These observations help Congress fulfill its constitutional responsibility to judge the elections of its own Members. I look forward to another successful program this fall and encourage eligible House staff to participate."

Read more about the Election Observer Program here.

Background:

In 2024, over 200 House staff were trained as election observers.

That same year, Congress passed the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act (COCOA Act), which provides a statutory citation for the long-running Election Observer Program. Doing so ensured that Congressional observers have full access to federal election administration processes.

For further details, read more here.

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Subcommittee Chair Lee Delivers Opening Remarks at Hearing on Election Observation, Including Best Practices and Congress’s Role

Wed, 196 Jul 2026 12:00:00 EST

WASHINGTON - Chair Laurel Lee (FL-15) opened today's Subcommittee on Elections Hearing titled, “Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress’s Role.”

Chair Lee's full opening statement as prepared for delivery:

Welcome to today’s hearing of the Subcommittee on Elections entitled “Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress’s Role.”

Election observers play an important role in election administration. They provide an independent view of the election process by documenting what they see, asking questions through established procedures, and helping confirm elections are conducted according to law.

Congress has a unique and important constitutional responsibility that makes today's hearing especially important.

Article 1 of the Constitution provides that each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns, and Qualifications of it's own Members.

Congress cannot fulfill that responsibility without the ability to observe the federal election process that determines who serves here.

For that reason, the Committee on House Administration has long maintained the Congressional Election Observer Program, and Congress reaffirmed that authority through the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access Act, or the COCOA Act.

Congressional observers are sent to observe, document, and report back to the Committee, so Congress has an objective, factual record if questions arise during a federal election.

Close elections are part of our democracy.

House races have been decided by only a few hundred votes, and sometimes even fewer.

In those situations, having an accurate record of the election process is especially important, so Congress can faithfully fulfill its constitutional responsibility.

Successful election observation programs depend on everyone understanding their role.

This promotes transparency, gives election officials another set of eyes on the process, and helps candidates and voters better understand how elections are conducted. Together, these benefits strengthen public confidence in our elections.

That's why professionalism matters. Election officials should establish clear procedures for credentialing observers, defining where they may observe, and maintaining clear channels of communication throughout the election process.

Observers should arrive well-trained, understand the laws governing the jurisdiction where they are observing, respect election workers and voters, document what they observe, and raise any concerns through the appropriate channels.

Professional election observation depends on preparation, clear expectations, and mutual respect.

Today's hearing is an opportunity to learn from our witnesses about best practices that strengthen transparency, support professional election observation, and help Congress fulfill its constitutional responsibilities.

I thank our witnesses for joining us today, and I look forward to their testimony.

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