Congressman William Timmons (SC-04) has been named Vice Chair of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress (“Select Committee”). The Select Committee was first created in 2019 and was reauthorized for the 117^th Congress as a part of the House Rules package. The Select Committee consists of only 12 members—six Republicans and six Democrats. Congressman Timmons was a member of the Select Committee last Congress and will now serve as Vice Chair alongside Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06). 

“I ran for Congress because Washington is broken,” said Congressman William Timmons (SC-04). “For the last two years, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress has pursued real reforms to make the federal government more accountable, efficient, and transparent to the American people. We still have work to do, and I am excited and honored to serve as Vice Chair for the 117^th Congress. I look forward to getting to work and continuing to find bipartisan solutions to make Congress more effective and efficient.”

“Since arriving in Congress in 2019, William has proven himself to be an effective leader and reformer,” said House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. “This leadership was apparent from the beginning, when he earned a spot on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress as only a freshman and helped write the largest, most bipartisan reform package for the congressional process in decades. William is a determined advocate for making Congress work again, because he knows that our office is held as a public trust. Based on his work on the Committee in the last Congress, I have total confidence that William is the right person to serve as the Committee’s Republican Leader.”

“For the past two years, Democrats and Republicans on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress have worked together in partnership, passing nearly 100 recommendations to make Congress work better for the American people,” said Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06). “During that time, William Timmons has been a valuable and engaged member of the committee, contributing his time, perspectives, and passion to the committee’s work. I look forward to working with him in his new role as Vice Chair of the committee. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”  

Background:

First created at the beginning of the 116^th Congress, the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress was tasked with crafting recommendations to make Congress work better. Over the last two years, Democrats and Republicans on the Select Committee have worked together to pass 97 recommendations to make Congress more effective, efficient, accessible, and transparent for the American people.

The Select Committee was tasked with producing recommendations on rules to promote a more modern and efficient Congress; procedures, including the schedule and calendar; policies to develop the next generation of leaders; staff recruitment, diversity, retention, and compensation and benefits; administrative efficiencies, including purchasing, travel, outside services, and shared administrative staff; technology and innovation; and the work of the House Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards. On October 14, 2020, the Select Committee released its final report for the 116^th Congress, which details all 97 recommendations and the committee’s research, conversations with experts, staff, and Members throughout its two-year lifespan. You can read the full report here.

More information on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress can be found here