Rep. Gus Bilirakis Wins Two National Awards for Constituent Service, Accessibility and Communication

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 2, 2024 - Every year, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) recognizes non-legislative achievement and outstanding performance of congressional offices through its Democracy Awards. One Democrat and one Republican are selected as winners in each of the following four categories: Constituent Service; Constituent Accountability and Accessibility; Innovation and Modernization; and "Life in Congress"- Workplace Environment. As part of its rigorous review process, CMF conducts a thorough examination of all Congressional candidates' policies, procedures and practices that embody what it means to excel as a public servant. The winners for each category are selected by an external committee comprised of former Members of Congress and congressional staff. Earlier today, CMF announced that Rep. Gus Bilirakis is the 2024 Winner of two Democracy Awards for Outstanding Achievement, placing first in both the category of Constituent Service and the category of Constituent Accountability & Accessibility."As a Democracy Award winner, the Rep. Bilirakis 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. Bilirakis and his staff are working hard to provide the best public service possible for his constituents. Rep. Bilirakis and his staff stand out for their exemplary service and dedication to his constituents," he said.

"I'm humbled to once again be recognized for outstanding constituent service, communication and accessibility as one of the top performers in Congress. I'm blessed with a top-notch team of professionals who share my passion for public service and work together to ensure continuous improvement," said Congressman Bilirakis. "I'm proud of the work we are continuing to do to help individual constituents and I'm confident we will continue going the extra mile to boost constituent engagement."

CMF cited the following reasons for selecting Rep. Bilirakis as winner for a Constituent Service award:

"The office of Rep. Gus Bilirakis cultivates a culture of excellence and continuous improvement supported by formal procedures. These practices include: separate intake and casework manuals that outline constituent response time of 24 hours; utilizing a shared intake drive that is checked by five staff members throughout the day to expedite processing; legislative staff meetings held weekly with district staff to identify trends; and tracking constituent feedback received through phone, letters, emails, outreach contact and satisfaction survey results. The office conducts at least 1 tele-town hall a month, usually on targeted topics. They are always looking for new ways to engage, including a "speed dating" concept where the Member takes five minutes to talk to a constituent and then meets the next person with staff providing constituent intake as needed. Other creative constituent service ideas that engage thousands of constituents annually include: a Stars, Stripes and Smiles event to offer free dental services to Veterans in need, a Veterans Resource Fair that links Veterans with available community resources, Coffees with Your Congressman at Homeowners Associations throughout the community and Senior Seminars which offer critical information about advancements in treatments for diseases impacting seniors, services designed to help seniors maintain their dignity by remaining in their home for as long as possible, and fraud prevention strategies. Each week, the Congressman highlights a constituent success letter outlining the work of the casework team and encouraging those who need assistance to contact the office for help. The Congressman's staff offers mobile office hours and partners with a diverse group of stakeholders to share information through a variety of entry points to demonstrate the type of service available through a Congressional office."

CMF cited the following as reasons for selecting Rep. Bilirakis as winner for a Constituent Accountability and Accessibility award:

"The office of Rep. Gus Bilirakis believes the best ideas come from those he serves and as such has embedded policies and practices throughout his office to maximize constituent engagement. All aspects of office operations revolve around a constituent-centered approach to public service. The office has cultivated a culture of excellence and continuous improvement that is supported by formal procedures. The team actively seeks opportunities to find solutions through legislative action on issues that stem from constituent trends, often resulting in Dear Colleague letters, testimony at legislative hearings, and formal legislation. The Congressman's vote record is displayed on his website and the rationale for each vote is explained in his weekly newsletter that is distributed to more than 205,000 subscribed constituents. In total, the Congressman held approximately 100 in-person or tele-townhall meetings in 2023. Congressman Bilirakis also hosts one tele-townhall each month during which he calls 100,000 constituents in the district."

Details on the process and the history of the Democracy Awards can be found here. Congressman Bilirakis and his fellow nominees will be honored for this significant achievement at a ceremony to be held in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2024. The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan nonprofit founded in 1977 dedicated to strengthening Congress and building trust in its work with and for the American people. CMF works to revitalize Congress as an institution; promoting best practices in congressional offices; and helps Congress and the people they represent engage in a constructive and inclusive dialogue toward a thriving American democracy.