Leveraging Technology to Make Congress Work Better for Us

While most people associate late October with pumpkins, ghouls, and falling leaves, did you know it also represents an unlikely celebration of our democracy? The telegraph, which celebrates an important anniversary this week, represents a core pillar of our democratic system.

Over 150 years ago this week, the first-ever cross-country telegraph was sent from California to President Lincoln in Washington, D.C. While it was revolutionary at the time, little could the people of that generation have envisioned the countless avenues for communication with our elected officials created by current technology.

The telegraph revolutionized the way in which Americans communicated with each other, received information, and shared important messages. Fast forward to today, and what could be a more critical message than to let Congress know it’s time to end the dysfunction and work better for the future of America?  Advancements like email, Twitter, and many others serve as unprecedented and powerful message multipliers that all of us should harness to help strengthen our democracy.  These are readily-available platforms that are literally at our fingertips — to learn about issues and champion causes with our elected officials.  In fact, technology has become intertwined with every aspect of government and politics and has become an essential tool in civic engagement.

This week, let’s celebrate our ability to quickly, efficiently, and in large numbers communicate to Congress that it must reform itself – now!  We challenge you to use technology to amplify your voice and demand changes to strengthen our democracy:

• Call on your representative to support the creation of a Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress that would help make government more efficient, effective, and accountable to us, the American people, by sending an email here.
• Tweet at your member of Congress asking them to support the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress.
• Utilize your social media networks to challenge five friends to join the growing call to action by writing emails and sending tweets to their representatives – and challenge them to enlist their friends.
  • Here’s a post you can use! “I’m ready to get Washington working for the American people again! Are you? Join me in the Congress of Tomorrow campaign and call on our elected officials to support the creation of a Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, which would make government more efficient, effective, and accountable to us! https://actnow.io/xZfYv5s