Molly Reynolds

Members of the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress agree Congress lacks tech oversight capacity to keep an eye on federal agencies, but whether that means bringing back the Office of Technology Assessment, as some lawmakers have suggested, remains unclear.

House Democrats say the Oversight and Government Reform Committee will refocus on investigations of the executive branch, questions of cabinet-level ethics and a new twist on issues that concern the federal workforce.

Decline in congressional support agency staff over time leaves legislators with less capacity to make informed decisions.

Experts in the federal community say President-elect Donald Trump’s business acumen will likely factor into the future of the federal workforce during the next administration. Trump will likely play closer attention to measures that would hold poor-performers accountable. Though they may not agree on all the issues, some federal unions say they hope they can find common ground on proposals that would advance federal hiring reforms.

Pundits say every action that comes out of Capitol Hill this year — bills, nominations or hearings — has ties to the 2016 elections.