Sunlight Mashup Puts Congressional Transparency On The Map

December 11, 2007

Contact: Gabriela Schneider 202-742-1520 ext 236

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Sunlight Foundation released a Google map mashup (http://punchclockmap.sunlightprojects.org/) and corresponding RSS feeds that lets citizens see the activities, on and off Capitol Hill, of the eight members of Congress who post their daily schedules online. The maps, which are updated weekly, include meetings beginning in January 2007.

The maps provide as much factual information as lawmakers make available in their schedules. To let citizens monitor how their elected officials address their district’s needs, the maps mark the home location of the organization or individual who met with the lawmaker, not where the meeting occurred.

“Mapping the daily activities of members of Congress lets constituents see for themselves just how their elected officials spend their time and how they represent their constituents,” said Ellen Miller, executive director of the Sunlight Foundation. “The public wants to know what its elected officials are doing. Voluntary disclosure of calendars is an excellent step toward regaining the faith of the American people.”

Currently, the map includes meeting information for those members who post their daily schedules, including: Sen. Max Baucus, Rep. Kathy Castor, Rep. John Doolittle, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Bill Nelson, Rep. Denny Rehberg, Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Sen. Jon Tester. (As Rep. Alcee Hastings posts an abridged weekly schedule, his is not included.)

Sunlight began asking members of Congress to post their official work schedules to their Web sites during 2006, when it asked lawmakers to sign its ‘Punch Clock Campaign’ pledge. Since then, several members have published their daily itinerary, including Rep. Gillibrand, a freshman who signed Sunlight’s pledge.

Because the information members of Congress provide in their schedules fluctuates from including a great deal of detail to simple generic meeting descriptions, the maps depict meetings with varying degrees of consistency and detail. However, all meetings are listed on the site, even those which cannot be mapped due to missing data.

Specifically, if the lawmaker’s schedule provides a location, organization or individual (who can be easily identified), those meetings are plotted on the map. Excluded from the map are internal business meetings, committee hearings, meetings with constituents without easily identifiable addresses or location and meetings with other current members of Congress.

To address members’ concerns that sharing their daily schedule would put their security at risk, Sunlight advocates that schedules be posted one day after their occurrence

The Sunlight Foundation supports, develops and deploys new Internet technologies to make information about Congress and the federal government more accessible to the American people. Through its projects and grant-making, Sunlight serves as a catalyst to create greater political transparency and to foster more openness and accountability in government.

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