Washington, D.C. – Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA-20) and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8) today announced details of the upcoming Fifth Congressional Hackathon that will take place on Thursday, September 14, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the CVC Auditorium of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
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, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, committee hearings, and the broader legislative process.
“Your government should be accessible, accountable, and efficient. The Congressional Hackathon delivers on that by bringing together civic-minded individuals intent on utilizing technology to better meet the needs of all Americans,” said Speaker McCarthy. “This year, we hope to build on the successes of previous Hackathons and draw on new ideas and fresh perspectives to truly reform how Washington works. I’m especially excited to see how we can incorporate Artificial Intelligence—a game-changing technology the House has already started to examine in bipartisan briefings with industry experts—into the legislative process. I am grateful for Congressman Hoyer’s partnership on these issues over the years and look forward to hosting this event with Leader Jeffries.”
“I am delighted to co-host the Congressional Hackathon this year, which has inspired technological innovation both within and outside Congress over the past 12 years. This is a unique opportunity for Congressional leaders, advocates and digital experts to come together to modernize and improve how we serve the people we are privileged to represent,” said Leader Jeffries. “We look forward to brainstorming and developing new projects that have the power to transform our democracy and make Congress more transparent and accessible.”
Fifth Congressional Hackathon Details
Hosts: Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries in partnership with the Chief Administrative Officer
Location: United States Capitol, CVC Auditorium
Date: September 14, 2023
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The first hour will include brief remarks from Speaker McCarthy and Leader Jeffries, 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 artificial intelligence. 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 four 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:
2011 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video
2015 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video
2017 Congressional Hackathon summary report, highlights video, and CSPAN coverage.
2022 Congressional Hackathon summary report and highlights video