WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Mike Honda was awarded his sixth Gold Mouse Award by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), in recognition of his continued commitment to transparency, web innovation and constituent services; Honda is only Member to win an award in every assessment since its inception in 2001. In addition, Rep. Honda was highlighted as the top award winning example for Constituent Services and Casework.

“It is a real honor to be given this award. It is representative of the kind of dedication and commitment to continued innovation for which my Silicon Valley District is known,” said Honda “This award really belongs to the people of the 15^th District, however, as they were the ones who helped crowd source the design of this site when it was first launched and continue to give irreplaceable advice on its function.”

In 2009, Rep. Mike Honda launched the first ever Congressional crowd-sourcing initiative that empowered constituents to submit designs, provide opinions and vote on a ‘Government 2.0’ initiative. The result was the transformation of the relationship between citizens and government by harnessing constituent ideas and innovation. This is the first website review CMF has done since the website’s launch.

“Today is yet another example of why the concept of ‘Government 2.0’ works; where the public’s ability to access and provide advice to their elected officials is enhanced by new technology and online participation” added Honda. “In my role as co-Chair of the Democratic Caucus New Media Working Group, I will continue to work to bring the Silicon Valley spirit to Washington. Congress must take advantage of new technology to empower citizens to become more than just petitioners, but rather partners in shaping the future of our nation”.

As co-Chair of the New Media Working Group, Rep. Honda has led efforts to bridge the gap between technology leaders and Congress while also developing best practices for Members of Congress to use.

"Rep. Honda is to be commended for educating citizens and achieving the highest degree of transparency and accountability in online communications," said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF.

CMF, a non-partisan and non-profit organization that tracks Congress’s overall effectiveness, announced the award early Monday morning in its report. Only 14 other offices were given Gold in the Awards. The main criteria CMF used to judge sites was: information on issues, timeliness, usability, constituent services and casework, promoting accountability, legislative process information, district/state information, floor proceedings, diversity of content, diversity of channels, innovation, and interactivity.