Reforming Congress – Philip Kiko, Former Chief Administrative Officer of the US House of Representatives

Video

0:14 – Introduction
4:32 – Differences working in the legislative branch, executive branch, and private sector
6:44 – How did working for a Member of Congress or committee prepare you for working as the CAO?
8:49 – How did your perspective on the generation of legislation change?
11:05 – What makes a good committee?
13:55 – How do committees initiate change through oversight?
17:23 – How would you measure the health or performance of a good committee?
23:39 – Thoughts on bringing in outside experts into legislative process
25:24 – What kind of experts provide expertise to Congress?
27:44 – The role of staff vs. Members in committee hearings
29:40 – Are there standard roles within committees, similar to Member personal offices?
32:07 – How are committee staff managed?
33:40 – How are the Members supported in committee meetings by staff?
36:24 – On the rules of committees3
8:37 – What makes for a good staffer/member/chairman for a committee?
41:52 – On transparency4
5:26 – What is the Chief Administrative Officer position?
50:34 – On the HR functions of the CAO for Congress
53:44 – On training available to staff
55:37 – What powers does the CAO have to influence or improve Congress? What could this role do in the future?
1:01:31 – What kind of personal/technical requests did offices make to the CAO?
1:04:16 – On the digital tracking of legislation
[Lightning Round]
1:05:33 – What do you think congressional representation should mean?
1:10:37 – How would your ideal Congress allocate its time?
1:12:20 – How should debate, deliberation, or dialogue occur or be structured in Congress?
1:15:49 – What fundamental institutional improvement should Congress make within 50 years?
1:17:30 – What book or article most shaped your thinking with respect to congressional reform?
1:19:21 – Long term plans

Philip-Kiko