On December 9th, 2020, Members-elect of the 117th Congress joined current members, staffers, technologists, scientists, academics, and advocates for the inaugural Tech, Science, and Data New Member Orientation, hosted by the First Branch Tech, Science and Data (TSD) cohort. Lawmakers shared advice on how to set up an office, find the right staff, and make use of technology, experts, and data to be more effective.
Reps. Derek Kilmer [D, WA], Chairman of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and Representative Rodney Davis [R, IL], Ranking Member of the Committee on House Administration discuss the state of Modernization in the House, advice to new Members of Congress on choosing staff wisely, and prioritizing their limited time in COVID.
Representative Mark Takano [D, CA] offered advice to new colleagues on innovation, modernization, and hiring the right team.
Lawmakers shared advice on how to set up an office, find the right staff, and make use of technology, experts, and data to be more effective. Here are the top ten pieces of advice from the orientation, from the high-level to the in-the-weeds.
Seven current and former Congressional staff offered new Members and staff the advice they wish they’d had when they got started.