WASHINGTON, DC – The Congressional Management Foundation has announced Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) as winner of a Democracy Award, CMF’s award recognizing achievements and performance in congressional offices. Steil was selected for outstanding achievement for the category of Transparency and Accountability. The Transparency and Accountability category recognizes offices that provide clear and relevant information on their work and publicly acknowledge metrics for that performance.
“As a Democracy Award winner, Rep. Steil’s office is clearly one of the best in Congress,” said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. “This designation demonstrates that Rep. Steil has made a significant commitment to being the best public servant for his constituents in Wisconsin. Rep. Steil and his staff are to be congratulated for not only being a model for his colleagues in Congress, but for helping to restore trust and faith that our democratic institutions can work,” he said.
Steil released a statement following notification of the award:
“I have made a commitment to being available and accessible to Wisconsin families. Since I have held office, I have worked hard to provide regular updates on my work through listening sessions, telephone town hall meetings, newsletters, and many other modes of communication. I believe it is important for people to hear directly from me about the work I am doing in Washington. It is an honor to be nationally recognized by a bipartisan group for these efforts. I will continue to provide regular communications with Wisconsin families and remain focused on working to lower costs and keep our communities safe,” said Congressman Steil.
Background:
Eight House and Senate offices were honored as winners in four categories: Constituent Service; Innovation and Modernization; Transparency and Accountability; and “Life in Congress”. The winners were selected by a selection committee primarily comprised of former Members of Congress and congressional staff. The winners will be honored at a ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C. in the fall.
Among other noteworthy items, CMF included the following reasons for selecting Rep. Steil for an award:
“The office announces all forums, town halls, and telephone town halls to the press, through social media, hard mail, and email to ensure constituents are made aware of the events. As Wisconsin opened up after the pandemic, Rep. Steil resumed in person town halls, and held an informational forum focusing on illicit fentanyl in the community. At the end of every year, Rep. Steil sends information to most households in his district on his legislative work, constituent services, services provided by his Washington, D.C. office, and a summary of how taxpayer dollars are being spent at the federal level. Not only does this inform the public about the Congressman’s work and priorities, but it also gives constituents the ability to reach out to the office, receive assistance, and learn about the services they provide. Within the office, Rep. Steil holds weekly meetings with communications aides, policy aides, and schedulers to ensure there are direct, open lines of communications among all staff.”
Details on the process and the history of the Democracy Awards can be found here: https://www.congressfoundation.org/projects/democracy-awards
