If We Want Congress to Work Differently, We Have to Do Things Differently

Four years ago, six Democrats and six Republicans embarked on what seemed like an impossible mission—to make Congress work better for the American people. While that may sound like a plot description for a political parody about Capitol Hill, it is a precise assessment of a little-known committee that has defied the odds in Washington and consistently produced strong bipartisan results. As the Democrat and Republican who led this successful effort, we think our committee's story is worth sharing.

The Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, which we lead together, was created to ensure that...