Bacon Named Democracy Awards Winner

Congressional Management Foundation Recognizes Bacon for Outstanding Achievement in Constituent Services

WASHINGTON, D.C., The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) announced this week that Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) is a winner of a Democracy Award, CMF’s honor recognizing non-legislative achievement and performance in congressional offices. Rep. Bacon was selected for outstanding achievement for the category of Constituent Service. The Constituent Service category honors offices for their outstanding practices or achievements acting as ombudsmen with the federal government or responding to constituent requests and inquiries.

 “As a Democracy Award winner, Rep. Bacon’s office is clearly one of the best in Congress,” said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. “This designation demonstrates that Rep. Bacon has made a significant commitment to being the best public servant for his constituents in Nebraska. Rep. Bacon and his staff are to be congratulated for not only being a model for his colleagues in Congress, but for helping to restore trust and faith that our democratic institutions can work.”

“Constituent services are one of the most important things we do, and we approach it with a whole-person overview,” said Rep. Bacon “Our team is humbled to be selected for this award, but we don’t do it for that. We do it because it is the right thing to do.”

Eight House and Senate offices were honored as winners in four categories: Constituent Service; Innovation and Modernization; Transparency and Accountability; and "Life in Congress"-Workplace Environment. Representative and Senate personal offices nominated themselves using an online questionnaire for the four office categories. CMF followed up with offices as necessary to gather documentation and assess the office's adherence to the established criteria. The winners were selected by a selection committee primarily comprised of former Members of Congress and congressional staff. The winners will be honored at a ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C. in the fall.

Details on the process and the history of the Democracy Awards can be found here: https://www.congressfoundation.org/projects/democracy-awards

CMF included the following reasons for selecting Rep. Bacon for an award:

“The office of Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) begins each year crafting a strategic plan for exceptional constituent service through a culture of teamwork, compassion, community collaboration, and servant leadership. Training programs for new staff and interns include an extensive review of the strategic plan and all expectations, policies, and procedures. Congressman Bacon’s office uses both traditional media and social media to inform and communicate with constituents. Social media often acts the same as phone calls, emails, or visits to the office, the success of which is seen in the number of constituents who request assistance in comment sections, resulting in many constituent cases.”

In addition to the eight offices selected for the 2021 awards, CMF this year is giving out a Special Democracy Award to the non-partisan floor staff of the US House and Senate for their courage and service to the Congress and the nation on January 6^th. “These men and women were the stewards of democracy when we needed them most,” Fitch said. “Most Americans never even notice their work. And yet, on January 6, 2021 they played crucial roles well beyond what was expected of them, displaying professionalism, resolution, and patriotism to help maintain our system of government,” he said.

Founded in 1977, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit whose mission is to build trust and effectiveness in Congress. It advances its mission by enhancing the performance of the institution, legislators and their staffs through research-based education and training, and by strengthening the bridge and understanding between Congress and the People it serves.

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