WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 29, 2015) — The OpenGov Foundation’s Executive Director Seamus Kraft released the following statement on Speaker John Boehner’s announcement that he will be stepping down as Speaker of the House of Representatives, and retiring from Congress, at the end of October 2015:
“Under Speaker Boehner, we have witnessed the start of a sea change in the U.S. House of Representatives. From launching an historic transformation of legislative information from paper-based formats to modern open data, to pushing Members to go digital to deliver better constituent service while spending less, this speaker has set a high bar for advancing open government. That these advances happened during a time of severely constrained resources, bureaucratic resistance and partisan rancor only adds to this Speaker’s legacy.
“We do not yet know who will be the next Speaker. But whoever it is, he or she will inherit a sturdy foundation for future innovation and in-progress improvements across the House of Representatives. It is fitting, then, that Speaker Boehner will step down while the Capitol Dome is swathed in scaffolding and in the midst of long-overdue renovations. Just as that great symbol of our democracy must periodically be restored, so must what happens under the dome be renewed and refreshed.
“Make no mistake — there remains a long way to go for all of Congress to fully enter the Internet Age. Such sea changes in government do not happen as quickly or radically as many would like. But no one can deny the solid progress towards creating a 21st Century legislative branch made on Speaker Boehner’s watch. And no one can doubt his decades-long commitment to rebuilding the People’s House.”
Some of the open and digital government advances from Speaker Boehner’s time in office include:
- Publishing an online, public archive of all available House committee hearing videos, created by collaborating with Carl Malamud and Public.Resource.Org. (February 2012)
- Launching the Bulk Legislative Data Taskforce and the transformation of legislative data from paper-based formats to open data. (June 2012)
- Broadening those open legislative data efforts as part of the 114th Congress rules package. (March 2015)
- Clarifying House rules regarding open source software, ushering in a new era of collaborative Congressional software development. (June 2015)
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