Top 10 Steps to Make the U.S. House More Open

Please note that this post is from 2007. Evaluate with care and in light of later events.

The Open House Project is working to open up the U.S. House to new technologies of Web-based access:

We’re trying to find the least intrusive ways to open up the House, the low-hanging fruit where the internet and Congressional procedures come together.

Their report to Representative Pelosi identifies 10 steps to take to make the House more open and accessible to citizens:

1. Legislation database.
   • Publish legislative data in structured formats.
2. Preserving congressional information.
   • Protect congressional information through archiving and distribution.
3. Congressional committees.
   • Recognize committees as a public resource by making committee information available online.
4. Congressional Research Service.
   • Share nonpartisan research beyond Congress.
5. Web access for members.
   • Permit members to take full advantage of Internet resources.
6. Citizen journalism access.
   • Grant House access to non-traditional journalists.
7. The Office of the Clerk of the House.
   • Serve as a source for digital disclosure information.
8. The Congressional Record.
   • Maintain the veracity of a historical document.
9. Congressional video.
   • Create open video access to House proceedings.
10. Coordinating Web standards.
    • Commit to technology reform as an administrative priority.

Republican David All and Democrat Philip de Vellis have collaborated on a video to promote the recommendations: