Chairman Steil's full opening statement as prepared for delivery: 
 

At the beginning of the 118th Congress, this Committee took the important step of creating a new subcommittee to focus on implementing the recommendations of the bipartisan Select Committee on Modernization. 

Instead of letting the Committee’s recommendations gather dust on a shelf, we wanted to bring good ideas to life and the Modernization Subcommittee is our vehicle for doing just that. 

I want to recognize Chairwoman Bice and Ranking Member Kilmer’s leadership on these issues. Much of the work that the Subcommittee does to make Congress a more effective and efficient institution flies under the radar.  

The work is focused on improving and modernizing the way we work, which in turn helps the American people.  

And it makes a huge difference.  

All committees now have access to an eDiscovery platform, which strengthens our ability to conduct effective oversight of the executive branch, one of our most important responsibilities.  

The House now has its first collaborative workspace for staff on the 4th floor of the Cannon Building. 

The Capitol Switchboard has finally been updated to provide offices with caller ID data, which enhances security and improves constituent service. 

And the AOC will soon be breaking ground on a new, centrally located drop-off/pick-up zone for visitors with disabilities. 

These are just a few of the many wins the Modernization Subcommittee has achieved, under Representatives Bice and Kilmer’s leadership. 

And I know there’s a lot more to come. 

I also want to thank Ranking Member Morelle and Rep. Carey for all of the work they’ve done to help make the Modernization Subcommittee a success. 

We designed the Subcommittee to be uniquely bipartisan, with 2 Members from each side of the aisle, to encourage productive dialogue and because achieving sustainable institutional change requires buy-in from all sides working together on behalf of the American people. 

Today we are marking up two bills reported favorably out of the Modernization Subcommittee.  

I’d like to note that I am the first Chair of this Committee to say that in 31 years! It’s been that long since a Subcommittee of this Committee held a markup and reported bills out to the full Committee. 

Both bills will improve the way the Congressional Research Service works on behalf of Congress to better serve the American people.  

One eliminates the Constitution Annotated print requirement and moves it to a digital-only format. 

The other strengthens CRS’s access to data and information so that the agency can better support Congress in all of its functions. 

Both of these bills represent what modernization is all about.  

CRS needs to work in a way that reflects how today’s Congress works. 

We are also taking up a Committee Resolution to authorize Co-sponsored Constituent Service Events.  

This is another important measure that the Modernization Subcommittee has been working hard on for several months. 

Thanks to the ongoing collaboration with the Ethics Committee, Member offices will now have more flexibility to co-sponsor constituent service events with qualified outside groups. 

For example, it will now make it easier for my office to meet with veterans in our district at the local VFW to assist them with casework inquiries.  

This change gives us more freedom to provide services and resources to our constituents, which is what we are here to do. 

These bipartisan measures are a big step forward for modernizing Congress. 

I look forward to seeing all of these pass in today’s markup.