Recent News and Activities

From August 29-31, 2023, the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) organized a Women’s Economic Empowerment Legislator Forum in Viña del Mar, Chile. This event brought together 22 legislators from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Peru. Among the notable attendees was Former U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy.

From June 28 to June 30, 2023, the House Democracy Partnership traveled to Yerevan, Armenia to conduct a technical assistance consultancy (TAC). The event involved Members of Parliament from Armenia’s parliamentary factions, along with NDI and HDP delegates, including former U.S. Congress members and democracy development experts. Activities included discussions on challenges faced by MPs in engaging with constituents, presentations on U.S. and proportional representation systems, and dialogues on tools for effective constituent engagement.

From May 15-17, 2023, the House Democracy Partnership, facilitated by the International Republican Institute (IRI), visited Jakarta, Indonesia, to conduct a technical assistance consultancy (TAC) with more than 32 professional staff members from five committees and commissions of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR). The discussions centered on topics such as environmental governance, citizen engagement, parliamentary research, and legislative oversight. The HDP delegation included Dr.

From May 3-5, 2023, the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) organized a Technical Assistance Consultancy (TAC) in North Macedonia, focusing on enhancing fiscal scrutiny and budget oversight. The program gathered five Members of Parliament and 42 parliamentary staff to discuss fiscal scrutiny, budget oversight, and legislative budget processes. The HDP delegation included a former U.S. Congresswoman, a former staff director of the U.S. House Committee on Budget, and the Chief of Public and Private Mandates Unit at the Congressional Budget Office.

From April 25-27, 2023, the House Democracy Partnership (HDP) conducted a Technical Assistance Consultancy (TAC) in Lima, Peru, collaborating with the Congress of Peru’s Department of Parliamentary Research and Documentation (DIDP).

From April 19-21, 2023, The House Democracy Partnership (HDP) organized a regional legislative exchange in Mombasa, Kenya, bringing together members of parliament and legislative staff from six African countries: Kenya, Liberia, The Gambia, Ghana, Mozambique, and Zambia. The program concentrated on key topics such as the legislative budget process, legislative oversight on public debt, and debt management practices.

The House Democracy Partnership facilitated a virtual exchange between the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the U.S. Congress and their counterparts in the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute (PRTI) of Mongolia’s State Great Hural as well as the Expertise and Analytical Department (EAD) of Armenia’s National Assembly. This virtual exchange touched on two main topics regarding the CRS approach to serving Congress, specifically on the role of robust legislative research in lawmaking and the duties of researchers in advancing the mission of a legislature.