BPC, Structural Democracy’s Michael Thorning to Lead Fix Congress Cohort

Washington, DC – The Fix Congress Cohort, a network of organizations dedicated to making Congress more effective, recently named the Bipartisan Policy Center and Structural Democracy Director Michael Thorning as coordinator. In this role, BPC will serve as the primary convener and facilitator, organizing regular meetings for the cohort members who represent views across the political spectrum.  
 
Since its formation in 2019, the Fix Congress Cohort has driven hundreds of positive developments on Capitol Hill including overhauling freshman orientation; training and development for members and staff; making staff pay and retention more competitive; improving constituent service and communications; access to modern technology; reforming congressionally directed spending; and fostering bipartisanship and collaboration, among many others. The cohort was supportive of the work and recommendations put forth by the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and now supports the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization, as well as the forthcoming Fix Congress Caucus led by Reps. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) and William Timmons (R-SC). 
 
“Almost every day, Americans hear about dysfunction in Congress, but they should know that there are people working on and off Capitol Hill to make the place work better for them,” said Thorning. “The Bipartisan Policy Center is optimistic about the opportunity for civil society and Congress to work together to help the institution live up to its responsibilities and restore its role as the first branch of government.”