TechCongress Foundation

The group bills itself as “among the few truly non-partisan organizations remaining in Washington” but is operated by a former Democratic congressional staffer and affirms that it adheres to left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideology. The group was launched with support from the left-of-center New America and the Ford Foundation. ^{1 2 3}

Background

TechCongress was founded in 2015 with the support of the Open Technology Institute (OTI) at New America and with initial seed funding from Reid Hoffman and the Ford Foundation’s NetGain Partnership initiative. The project was incubated by New America until 2021 when it was spun off as a standalone organization. The group’s website notes appreciation from New America CEO Anne-Marie Slaughter and other New America and Open Technology Institute staff members. ³

The founder and executive director of TechCongress is Travis Moore. Moore is a former Democratic congressional staffer, having served as legislative director to former U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA). While TechCongress represents itself as a nonpartisan organization that operates programs for Democrats and Republicans, Moore’s experience has mostly focused on supporting congressional staff training and development programs for Democratic congressional staffers including organizing “The first Congressional digital communications training program in Congress, the Democratic Academy Fellowship” and “The first Congressional staff conference, the “Dem Confab,” for over 150 senior Democratic House and Senate staff.” ²

Travis Moore is also the co-founder of Congress Too, “a group of 1,500 former Congressional staffers that brought the #MeToo movement to Capitol Hill and spearheaded a reform overhaul signed into law in late 2018.” ²

Activities

TechCongress operates three main programs to place computer scientists, engineers, and other technology professionals in congressional offices. The organization’s programs include a “Senior Congressional Innovation Fellowship (our mid-career pipeline), the Congressional Innovation Fellowship (our early-career pipeline), and the Congressional Digital Service Fellowship.” The mid-career and early-career fellowships place individuals with congressional offices for ten and twelve months respectively. The group’s digital services fellowship was a one-time program “to help Congress manage the digital challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” ³

As of 2023, the organization reported placing 75 individual fellows with congressional offices since 2016. Members of Congress who have had TechCongress fellows placed within their offices include Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD), former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). ³

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

TechCongress has affirmed adherence to left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles, stating that “We believe diversity, equity, and inclusion should be central to all of our work” as a core value of the organization. The group also adopted a “diversity referral award” and encourages “applicants from underrepresented communities in technology and in Congress.” ^{3 1}