Congressman Cleaver Plays Key Role in Committee’s Passage of Bipartisan Recommendations to Modernize Congress

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO), member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (Select Committee), voted to pass the Select Committee's first package of recommendations of the 117th Congress, which aims to make the House of Representatives a more efficient and effective institution for the people of Missouri's Fifth Congressional District.

"Talk to any Member of Congress and they will tell you that they have lost highly capable, extremely qualified staffers to the private sector because congressional salaries and benefits simply can't compete," said Congressman Cleaver. "They will also tell you that the faces they see walking the halls of Congress don't adequately represent the American public at large, leaving critical voices and life experiences out of congressional conversations. Since joining the Select Committee to Modernize Congress, I've worked diligently on a bipartisan basis to demonstrate ways in which we can strengthen the workforce that helps Congress run so that we can competently address the wide array of complex challenges facing our nation. With the recommendations passed today, I'm confident we can provide greater opportunity to capable, diverse, and patriotic candidates who will ensure Congress can function at the highest level possible."

Since being tapped to serve on the Select Committee in 2019, Congressman Cleaver has participated in fact-finding hearings aimed at increasing staff diversity, improving staff benefits, and increasing congressional accessibility to ensure Congress is an institution that all Americans can engage with. Additionally, the set of recommendations passed by the Select Committee will help Congress retain a strong workforce, yielding a more effective institution to better serve the American people.

Some key recommendations supported by Congressman Cleaver include:

• Updating and Aligning Staff Benefits to Increase Retention: The House should establish and maintain a "Task Force on the House Workforce," led by the Chief Administrative Officer and comprised of other House offices to make ongoing policy recommendations on updating staff benefits.
• Tuition Assistance: The House should expand the Student Loan Repayment Program to include tuition assistance similar to offerings made by the private sector and other federal agencies.
• Real Time Payroll Information: The House should create a searchable database of anonymized average staff compensation information, by position, using available information on staff salaries and payroll data.
• Assistance for Contract Employees: Where feasible, the House should work with contractors to ensure they provide Capitol campus employees assistance services comparable to those offered by the House through the Office of Employee Assistance.
• Collecting Demographic Data: The Chief Administrative Officer should provide access to industry-leading talent acquisition software to assist House offices in managing their recruitment and hiring process.
• Supporting the Office of Employee Assistance: The Office of Employee Assistance should seek to retain a diverse workforce, offer access to bilingual services, and retain staff capable of providing various forms of trauma services.
• Committee Internship Stipends: Committees should be provided a program allowance, separate from their budget, for compensation of interns.
• Assessing Intern Cost of Living: The Chief Administrative Officer should provide information to congressional offices on the cost of living for interns to help inform intern stipend levels.
• Remote Internships: The House should study the feasibility of permanently allowing remote internships.

The full package of recommendations from the Select Committee is available here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee; Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Housing, Community Development, and Insurance; member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; member of the Committee on Homeland Security; and a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.