FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, MARCH 8 2011
CONTACT: Will Urquhart, Communications and New Media Director at Main Street Insider, will@mainstreetinsider.org (202)-329-5457

Main Street Insider Releases Groundbreaking New Congressional Transparency Tool

For over a year now, Main Street Insider has been busy developing a single online location that combines a free schedule of U.S. House and Senate committee activities with live video of these events whenever available. We call it the Committee Dashboard, and this week we are thrilled to announce that it is open to the general public.

The Committee Dashboard gives people all over the world an unprecedented ability to witness the committee process from their computer. The hearings and markups that take place in these committees often shape the narrative of discussion and have a direct, significant impact on legislation that reaches the floor. User-friendly, unfiltered access to these events for folks outside the Beltway can ultimately raise the level of debate and result in better governing.

This tool, and the very need for its development, also sheds light on the sad state of the livefeeds being provided by the various committees. In a letter released in late January of this year, our Executive Director, Jeremy Koulish, and the Sunlight Foundation’s Executive Director, Ellen Miller, called upon the House of Representatives to take steps in order to improve their livefeed technology (among other things). Today, as we here at Main Street Insider make the Committee Dashboard available to the general public, we renew that call.

You can find the Committee Dashboard at www.MainStreetInsider.org. There is a packed schedule of hearings and markups this week, so drop on by and join us in holding our government accountable. 

Most importantly, contact us if you encounter any problems, that's what we're here for.

You'll find most of what you need in the menu at the top.

If you have trouble viewing a feed, make sure you have updated your Flip4Mac (and maybe Quicktime) if you are using a Mac, and your Windows Media Player and/or Real Player if you are using a PC.

If you want to know what Committee feeds are happening today, there is a category for that and a button in the menu bar.

There is a full Committee schedule embedded on the front page and a button in the menu bar. There you will find links for the livefeed.

You'll notice a chat below every feed. To begin with, we are using one chat room for the entire dashboard. That could very well change at any moment.

Lastly, as with most online chats, you should not consider anything you say there as private. We will moderate any comments that we deem offensive. Our audience represents a diverse set of backgrounds and political persuasions and we ask that people treat each other with respect.