If I Can Use AI at Work, You Can Too
POPVOX Foundation’s “Future-Proofing Congress” is a newsletter created for the busy Congressional staffer to keep you updated (and inspired!) about operational improvements and new resources on and off the Hill. Learn more and subscribe here.
Keeping pace at work with the newest tech tools and developments
This time last year, I was not using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in my daily life. I occasionally used ChatGPT to ask random questions and compile work-related content, but if you were looking for an AI-savvy person, I was not the one to call.
Fast forward to 2026 - a few weeks ago, using Claude, I created my own bot! One Friday afternoon when combing through an appropriations report, I identified what I needed to have consistently reported, tracked, and shared, and went back and forth with the chat to professionalize a final product. Voilà! In less than an hour, I had an organized “artifact” full of report language and information that was ready to share with my team. I have turned that into a standing “project” in Claude to keep track of upcoming deadlines and updates.
I am sharing this with you because I do not consider myself to be a “tech person.” I do not know how to code, and I have always considered myself a late adopter. But AI has changed the landscape for everyone. If I can incorporate this into my daily work — outside of chatbots and basic image generation — so can you.
The responsible adoption and deployment of these kinds of tools as part of the legislative work stream is one of our driving missions at POPVOX Foundation. We have seen so many of you implementing AI into your daily work. If you’re not, and you’re feeling behind, don’t worry! Even the most experienced programmers and tech adopters are feeling that way, too. If you or your team is interested in learning more about how to work these House-approved tools into your daily workflow, let us know! We are here to help.
This month, we’ll talk about:
Exciting updates from the Modernization and Innovation Subcommittee
New staff spaces on campus
Microsoft Copilot and important safety tips to keep in mind
Have a great weekend and stay warm!
Danielle Stewart
Advisor for Congressional Initiatives
POPVOX Foundation
A Major Workspace Upgrade
Working on the Hill comes with many privileges, but a wealth of workspace and private areas for meetings is not one of them. Thankfully, the Committee on House Administration has been working on a solution that is now available to all staff. The committee recently announced the opening of six new collaborative workspaces and eleven self-schedule rooms throughout the campus for staff use. These rooms, spread across Cannon and Longworth, have a mix of couches, desk options, conference tables and seating, and comfy chairs. This is a welcome update, especially heading into the always-busy spring meeting season. A big thanks to the Modernization and Innovation Subcommittee for prioritizing these changes.
ICYMI, last year POPVOX Foundation teamed up with Protect Democracy and a design firm to imagine the needs of the Capitol complex and its workforce in the future. Check it out here.
Staying Safe with a New Copilot
In case you missed it, the House recently started rolling out Microsoft Copilot licenses for staff throughout the House. If you are not familiar with Copilot, it is securely integrated with the House network and uses your data (like emails, documents, previous chats) in Microsoft 365 to summarize meetings, draft documents, create presentations, and help writing emails.
6,000 licenses are available for staff use. It is important to know that your office must have an AI policy in place in order to have access to these licenses. The Committee on House Administration has a draft policy available on HouseNet, and if you are looking for additional detail to include in your team’s materials, we have a template for developing your own office policy here.
When incorporating a new tool into your daily work, following cybersecurity safety rules is a must, especially when working with the types of sensitive data you have access to as a House staffer. Congressional staff, their emails, and the House networks continue to be a prime target for foreign adversaries. In December 2025, the hacking group Salt Typhoon, which is linked to China’s Ministry of State Security, compromised email systems used by staff on several House committees, including those overseeing foreign affairs, intelligence, armed services, and China policy. Congressional communications are particularly attractive targets. Some quick security tips are below, and a full primer can be seen here.
Don’t input confidential drafts of office information
Don’t share names, addresses, or personal identifiable information (PII) from constituents or of your boss and team members
Don’t paste internal documents or confidential communications (including email threads)
Don’t assume your data is private
While these new tools that boost productivity and level up your office’s communication and constituent response, it’s critical that robust cybersecurity measures remain a top priority to protect yourself, your boss, and your constituents.
If you have specific questions about policies, use cases, and security, you can contact the AI Center for Excellence under the CAO.
Why Modern Legislatures Should Be Paying Attention to New AI
POPVOX Foundation Fellow Beatriz Rey always has the most up-to-date and exciting insights around how international legislatures are exploring this new generation of AI tools, just as we are here in the US. Recently, she focused on how these tools truly could have an impact globally.
Claude Opus 4.5 excels at the kind of deep reasoning parliamentary work demands - reconciling conflicting amendments, synthesizing thousands of pages of law, or identifying inconsistencies across draft bills.
Claude Code allows legislative IT teams to build custom software simply by describing what they need, potentially freeing parliaments from lengthy vendor contracts and enabling rapid development of bill tracking systems, committee management tools, and automated workflows.
Google’s Gemini 3 Pro can simultaneously process text, video, audio, and datasets - imagine analyzing a budget proposal alongside hearing transcripts and statistical reports in a single task.
Rather than replacing human judgment, these tools could free legislative staff from time-consuming administrative work to focus on the deliberation and political decision-making that defines democracy. Parliaments that understand and thoughtfully adopt these capabilities may find themselves better equipped to serve their constituents in an increasingly complex world.
For more news from international legislatures, subscribe to our Modern Parliament (“ModParl”) newsletter.
The Future is Now
POPVOX Foundation released a new AI training guide: Harnessing AI to Master a New Policy Portfolio: A Step-by-Step Guide for Congressional Sta on How to Use Institution-Approved LLMs to Get Up to Speed. With sample prompts, best practices, and strategic approaches to maximize your time and expertise, this guide can be read straight through by a new LA or taken in pieces by a senior policy staffer wanting to sharpen their policy chops.
In December, POPVOX Foundation’s Director of Global Initiatives Aubrey Wilson testified before the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation, presenting international case studies that can inspire the future of constituent engagement in the US Congress.
Steve Newman from the Golden Gate Institute for AI shared his vision for what could be “an unrecognizable future” thanks to the rapid pace of AI development.
The Trump Administration launched a “Tech Force” and plan to hire 1,000 technologists at the start of their careers to help drive modernization and the implementation of AI across the federal government.
The Year of “and Innovation”
At the end of 2025, the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation released its latest progress report showing 22 more recommendations completed from the original Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress — bringing the total recommendations closed to 132. Over four years, the Select Committee made 202 bipartisan recommendations on ways to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and the operations of the Legislative branch. As a former Select Committee staffer, it has been exciting to see this progress continue!
When the Select Committee wrapped in 2022, the modernization work continued in the Subcommittee on Modernization. A year ago, the Subcommittee added “Innovation” to its name, signaling an important shift. Rather than just checking off inherited recommendations, it is now focused on continuously adapting to help Congress keep pace with our rapidly changing world.
As POPVOX Foundation Program Associate Caitlin McNally wrote, this mindset shift matters. The Subcommittee is thinking about evolving needs, not just completing a to-do list from six years ago. In 2025, the Subcommittee advanced several new initiatives including rolling out 6,000 Microsoft Copilot licenses for staff, installing closed captioning technology in over 60% of House committees, adding assistive technology to food service kiosks, and streamlining the MyServiceRequests maintenance system with single-click reporting.
In 2026, it has more opportunity to prove that “and Innovation” doesn’t just mean new initiatives – it means making changes fast enough to keep pace.
Give your brain a break (Really cold winter edition)!
Beating the Blues
It is estimated that millions of Americans are impacted by Seasonal Affective Disorder, which can last up to 40% of the year. If you are feeling down during these cold days, you’re not alone. Here are some tips for beating the blues and staying positive before spring heads our way. Here’s a “Cozy Winter Playlist” from Spotify if you need some mellow tunes to get you through your workday or chilly commute.
“And the Winner is…”
It’s awards season, which means there is a tremendous amount of solid content available to stream while you’re hanging out indoors. If you’re a movie buff, chances are you have seen this year’s top contenders. If you have some catching up to do, check out this list of must-watch movies.
How Did You Sleep?
Over the last several years, tracking sleep has become one of the hottest (and most important) health metrics available to consumers. In addition to the types of sleep you have throughout the night (light, deep, REM), researchers have found that your sleep consistency is just as important as tracking hours and restfulness. Read more about your sleep health, here.
Name Calculator
Right before the 2025 holiday season, Randall Olson from Goodeye Labs shared this name and age generator that is quite fun to play around with. Built from a methodology published by FiveThirtyEight, it allows the user to see when a specific name popularity peaked, and gives your age estimate based on that data. Check it out!
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps democratic institutions keep pace with a rapidly changing world. Through publications, events, prototypes and technical assistance, the organization helps public servants and elected officials better serve their constituents and make better policy.