>> we had our first hackathon in 2011. the idea was to bring technologists from technology companies, activists and have a big open event and invite everyone into the capital. we have lots of pizza and stayed late that first one. all having an open format where we can brainstorm and try to work constructively towards improving congress. >> what kind of ideas came out? >> the first one, there was a big focus on releasing all legislative data in a machine-readable format. that has been a big push throughout government from state and local all the way to the federal. it is really a problem. we had all this data on particular website, but other websites could not access that data. as a result of that hackathon and the efforts of other people that worked at the library of congress and other agencies, it took a couple of years but we were able to release the data and has enabled new apps, lots of new websites to use legislative data. they use them in innovative and interesting ways. >> is this all accessible to the american publ

something i called a congressional hackathon. first of all, mr. dwyer, what do you do for a living? >> guest: i work for democratic whip steny hoyer, i've been with him 15 years, and i sort of handle both technology policy but also digital strategy for all house democrats. >> host: where did you come up with the idea for a congressional hackathon? >> guest: the first was back in 2011, and the idea was to bring technologists from technology companies but also civic activists and have a big, open event and invite everyone into the capitol. we had lots of pizza, and we stayed late that first one and have an open format where we can just brainstorm and try to work constructively towards improving congress. >> host: so what kind of ideas came out of that first one? >> guest: the first one, there was a big focus on releasing all legislative data in a machine-readable book format. that has been a big push throughout government from state and local all the way up to the federal, and it was really a problem in the legislative branch where we had all this data on particular web sites, but oth

>> we had our first hackathon in 2011 and it was to bring technology companies but also said it got to this and just have a big open event and invite everyone into the capital. we had lots of pizza and stably that first one and just have an open format where we can brainstorm and try to work constructively towards improving congress. >> host: what kind of ideas came out of that? >> guest: the first one was a big focus on releasing a legislative data in machine readable book format. that has been a big push throughout the government from state and local up to the federal and it was a problem in the legislative branch where we had all the data on particular websites, but other websites couldn't access the data. as a result and efforts of many other people that work at the library of congress and many other legislative agencies come it took a couple years, but we were able to release data and that is enabled new apps and exciting website to use legislative data like bills and amendments and really innovative interesting ways. >> is this how accessible to the american public? >> yes. the b

to the hackathon before, this is a or very unique event. it's an event in the capitol like no other where participants actually engage and produce meaningful work during breakout groups later, which you'll hear about. and we also hear about things that you don't hear in normal congressional hearings or meetings. and it's very interactive and, in fact, a lot of the presentations you're going to hear were submitted by all of you, by people through an open process. so that's a quick run-through for those of you who have never been here before, but when i look around this room, most of you have been here before x. cha's -- and that's one thing that makes me love this event more than anything else. it's really about the community that is built around this. and it's, you know, it's an interesting group. you've got people that, you know, work in technology on the hill, you've got people, staffers, some of which are technology staffers, some of which are not. there's lots of chiefs of staff that are here that just are interested in digital things.

after that, we get into the more traditional part of the hackett hackathon. you can self select a group you want to go to and you can sell select a subgroup within each group you want to work on. you can even create your own subgroup and submit ideas to be worked on. that is the part of the collaborative open process that is this event. i'm thrilled you are here. my partnerntroduce in crime in this event, chris. >> what is your roi here at the hackett on --what is your role here at the hackathon. >> our goal is to bring people together on capitol hill, improve government, make more accountability in government, and be better able to conserve our constituents. >> through technology? >are you a technologist? >> i think i am. i help from palo alto and my dad is an engineer. didn't take, i decided to go into government. >> someone from palo alto coming out and seeing initial technology used by congress, what was your initial interpretation? >> it looked old. slowly getting better though. they are trying to see technology better impact people's lives and be able t

that is part of the collaborative and open process of this hackathon. i am thrilled you're here i want to introduce briefly my partner in crime to organize this event. [applause] >> so what is your role here at t12. >> working for leader mccarthy and to bring people together on capitol hill to we choose to make government more accountable to the people and to better help the constituents through technology. >> or ua technologist? >> i like to think that i am my dad is an engineer but i decided to go into government. >> so coming out here with the technology what was your initial reaction? >> very old using a very old system with the free updated training but we could see that is slowly getting better but to see technology to better impact people's lives and what they want to reach members of congress. >> what is one system that comes out of the hackathon you use in your office? >> it is different so they don't interact directly with the constituents but from what i have seen cannot appear the ability to have data is important to see what we are doing an

something i called a congressional hackathon. first of all, mr. dwyer, what do you do for a living? >> guest: i work for democratic whip steny hoyer, i've been with him 15 years, and i sort of handle both technology policy but also digital strategy for all house democrats. >> host: where did you come up with the idea for a congressional hackathon? >> guest: the first was back in

. >> this week on "the communicators kevin mccarthy and steny hoyer talk about congressional hackathons important we take a step away in the parts and back and forth and find ways like best hackathon to come together to engage the public in a positive way to make a more open and more transparent. >> this year, we have an electronic task that is going to a number of congressional offices that will transform the district offices at the same time. would become more efficient and get a better data and understand and we are more accountable. announcer: watch "the communicators," on c-span2. >> connect with c-span to personalize the information you get from us. go to c-span.org/connect and sign up. the program guide is a direly -- daily email with the primetime schedule. word for word gives you the most interesting daily video highlights in their own words with no commentary. the book tv news later is an insider's look at upcoming festivals. the american history tv newsletter gives you the upcoming program exploring our nation's cast. visit c-span.org/connect and sign up today. council ony,

tonight on "the communicators"," the second part of the ongressional hackathon conference. >> i work for leader mccarthy in order to improve government, make government more accountable to the people and use the tools that come here to better serve our constituents. >> we geared sort of a whole new process for creating committee reports and that is a process that has been in place for many decades and developed an app that automates the process of compiling and rendering committee reports. and it is a process that has been taken weeks to do and very manual and a lot of data entry to run that and done with a click of a button. >> watch "the communicators" at 8:00 eastern on c-span2. thursday morning, we are in madison, wisconsin for the next span for the c-span bus. wisconsin lieutenant governor will be our guest during "washington journal" at 8:30 eastern. >> as we wait for the house to return from votes. here's part of today's "washington journal." .

house majority leader kevin mccarthy and minority leader steny hoyer talk about the congressional hackathon seminar. it is important we take a step away from the partisan back-and-forth and find ways like this hacathon to come together to engage the public in a more positive way to make the congress more transparent. >> this year, we have an electronic mail test that will go into a number of congressional offices. it will transform on the district offices. we become more efficient, better data. we will understand where we can follow it and become more accountable> >> watch the communicators tonight at 8 p.m. eastern on c-span2. a is the in the commercial satellite history. a panel discussion with robert mcdowell who talks about how satellites are used and the problem of space debris. this is one hour has 25 minutes.

. >> tonight on "the communicators" the second part of our coverage of the congressional hackathon conference. >> i work for leader mccarthy and myself with stephen. our goal is to bring people together on capitol hill, people off the hill in order to improve government, make government more accountable to the people and use the tools that come here to be able to serve our constituents. >> reengineered a sort of a whole new process for creating committee hearing reports and that's a process that's been a place for many, many, many decades, and we develop an app that automates the process of compiling and rendering committee hearing reports, web-based app that it takes a process that event taking weeks really to do, very manual, a lot of data entry to one that is just done with essentially the flick of a button. >> watch "the communicators" tonight at eight eastern on c-span2. >> and i think the most important thing that leaders of our great country can do is preserve our rights as citizens, not only in nevada but for all of the country. and i think they need remember we are the freest country

and automation, but this is sort of forecast in the -- and you have elon tweeting that they have a hackathonenecks. we won't really know what the delivery figures are until early july, but it is all about the three. on thele prospect is three working well. the question is, are the cars they are producing high quality? are customers coming back? othert: he has plenty of projects going on, including the , looking to solve the problems of traffic through hyperloop score big tunnels. he is expected to unveil a big announcement tonight. i think what is interesting is that the boring company is proposing to build tunnels under l.a.. elon wants to do this because it's a is building -- because spacex is building out of a port to -- regardless of how charismatic the founder is, they require a lot of stakeholder buy-in. the city of los angeles is kind of a sprawling place. they'll give a presentation, answer questions. really trying to get stakeholder buy-in from the different neighborhood groups about the proposed route. seem like people are into it, or is there opposition? dana: i think like any inf

. >> tonight on "the communicators," the second part of our coverage of the congressional hackathon conference >> i work for leader mccarthy, and myself with stephen dwyer, our goal is to bring together on capitol hill and off the hill in order to sort of improve government, make government more accountable to the people and use the tools that, you know, come here to be able to better serve our constituents. >> we engineered a sort of a whole new process for creating committee hearing reports, and that's a process that's been in place for many, many, many decades. we developed an app that automates the process of compiling and rendering committee hearing reports. it's a web-based app, and it sort of takes a process that had been taking weeks really to do and was very manual and a lot of data entry to one that is just done with, essentially, the click of a button. >> watch "the communicators" tonight at eight eastern on c-span2. .. >> especially in the state of nevada and in northern nevada region is two things. one, affordable housing and whatever that may mean a number two is workforce. we ar

. >> tonight on "the communicators," second part of our coverage of the congressional hackathon conference. for leader mccarthy and myself with steven dwyer, to bring people together on capitol ill and people off the hill in order to forimprove government make government more accountable tools people and use the that come here to better serve constituents. engineered a sort of whole new process for creating hearing reports and that is a process been in place any, many, many decades and we automates an app, that committee hearing reports, web-based yap app. taking weeks to do, manual and one that justice done with essentially click web-based of a button. host: watch "the communicators" on c-span2. >> "washington journal" continues. host: stop number 35 on tour of capitals. today we're in st. paul, minnesota. river, the s the mississippi river from big st. paul inneapolis, st. paul is second most populous city in the state, more than 80 languages spoken in the public schools and joining us to talk about the education issues that the state and the nation faces commissioner of education, of mi

house majority leader kevin mccarthy and minority leader steny hoyer talk about the congressional hackathon seminar. a it is important we take step away from the partisan back-and-forth and find ways like this to come together to engage the public in a positive way to make congress more open and more transparent. >> we have an electronic mail test going into a number of congressional offices, so pretty soon it will transform all the district offices at the same time. what happens? we become more efficient, get better data, and become more accountable to our constituents. >> the communicators, tonight at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span2. tonight on landmark cases, a case on capital punishment, greg v georgia. a 1976, troy leon gregg, convicted armed robber and murder challenged his death sentence. and four other capital punishment cases were considered by the court. the supreme court ruled against them to establish stricter guidelines for states pushing to oppose the death penalty. our guest is one of the nation's top capital punishment legal atolars and a professor harvard law school. she has a

. >> this week on the communicators, a visit to capitol hill and a congressional hackathon.eminar for house members and staffers to trade ideas on how to better use technology in congress. >> now on the communicators, we want to introduce you to steve dwyer, one of the organizers of something called the congressional hackathon. what do you do for a living? >> i work for democratic with steny hoyer. i have been with him for 16 years and i ha a

to you by your >> this week on "the communicators," a visit to capitol hill and a congressional hackathon.