Reforming Congress – Mark Strand, President of the Congressional Institute (Part 1)

April 6, 2021  

  • Video
  • 0:14 – Background
  • 1:37 – Roles in the House
  • 2:12 – How did you manage a congressional office as a chief of staff?
  • 4:00 – How are congressional staff meetings structured, and have they changed over the course of your career as Congress has changed?
  • 5:38 – Are there differences in being a chief of staff between the House and Senate?
  • 6:30 – How did you recruit staff?
  • 7:28 – On the purpose and activities of the Congressional Institute
  • 9:11 – Discussing the role of congressional retreats
  • 11:41 – Discussing retreats for staff
  • 12:58 – On the history of congressional reform, successes, and challenges
  • 16:35 – What are some of the notable successes or consequences of the reform movements?
  • 19:13 – The Authorization vs. the Appropriations process
  • 25:01 – On the committee structure
  • 27:59 – Differences between House and Senate committees
  • 30:16 – Keeping accountability for members of Congress
    [End of Part 1]