Yes, yes, I know, every other Apple-related website on earth (and perhaps beyond) is focused on the Apple announcement this morning. By the time you read this, the Apple event may already be over. But I typically update iPhone J.D. in the wee hours of the morning, so I can't say much about Apple's "latest creation" yet (although I will tomorrow). Instead, let's look at another new iPhone app.
Last week I reviewed The White House app. If the Legislative Branch is of interest to you, you will definitely want to check out the free Real Time Congress app from The Sunlight Foundation, an organization dedicated to making government transparent and accountable. The app compiles a ton of timely information relating to everything going in Congress into one easy to use app.
The app has five main sections, four of which appear on the bottom of the screen at all times and you can customize which buttons appear there. The Floor button includes live updates from the House and Senate floor as they happen, so you can always have the latest information on what is announced, considered and voted on. For many congressional junkies, this button will probably be the most useful part of the app.
The Whip Notices button provides links to daily and weekly notices from the House Majority and Minority Whips. When I tested the app, only the Republican Whip Notices were working. Hopefully this will be fixed soon.
The Hearings button provides a schedule of upcoming committee hearings, with a button to select either House or Senate. The Documents button provides links to reports and memos as they are published online from the Congressional Budget Office, Congressional Research Service, Democratic and Republic Policy Committees, General Accounting Office, Office of Management and Budget, and several others.
Finally, the News button provides links to Congressional stories from a variety of top news services such as the The Hill, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.
If you practice governmental relations work, work for a government advocacy group or have an interest on what is going on at Capitol Hill, you will find this app very handy. And even if you just have a passing interest — perhaps you just know most of the words to the classic Schoolhouse Rock song "I'm Just a Bill" — the app is free, so it won't cost you anything to check it out.
Click here for Real Time Congress (free):
P.S. And because I can't resist: