FedScoop writes about the need for technical talent in Congress.
Travis Moore was working on Capitol Hill, in former California Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman’s office, when he realized he needed a little technical expertise. Conversations following the Snowden leaks, the debate around CISPA and more convinced him that, increasingly, tech affects all issues.
Unfortunately, he found had to get off the Hill for guidance.
So as Waxman headed toward retirement in January 2015, Moore found himself thinking more and more about how Congress could benefit from some in-house tech advisers. There were models out there — the longstanding Robert Wood Johnson Foundation health policy fellowship brings health experts to the Hill, and over in the White House, the U.S. Digital Service, 18F and the Presidential Innovation Fellows program were all popularizing the idea of bringing private sector tech talent into the executive branch, if only briefly.
Rep. Waxman left office on Jan. 2, 2015, and by Jan. 3, 2015 Moore had his proposal — a pitch for TechCongress, the Congressional Innovation Fellowship.