1 big thing: The talk of the swamp ...
Members of Congress have mentioned major tech companies more than any other type of company over the past decade, according to data compiled by Quorum. Facebook has by far experienced the most mentions, with Google coming in at a distant second.
Why it matters: It's a reflection of lawmakers' recent obsession with technology-related issues that impact most of their constituents — like data privacy, security, smartphone addiction and election integrity.
- It's also a reflection of the ubiquity of Facebook, Google and other tech firms for Americans, transcending social classes, geographies and political parties.
Congress has mentioned technology more than twice as many times as it's mentioned financial services. By mentions over the past ten years (methodology below):
- Technology (26,609)
- Financial services (13,577)
- Motor (7,171)
- Retail (6,531)
- Aerospace & Defense (5,102)
- Health care (5,049)
- Transportation (4,978)
- Telecommunications (4,604)
Facebook has become the most-discussed company, spiking during the Cambridge Analytica scandal that occurred earlier this year. (More below.)
- In total, 94.2% of 115th Congress have mentioned Facebook as a part of any official communications measured by Quorum.
- Overall, mentions of Fortune 100 companies by members of Congress have steadily increased, per Quorom.
For kicks: Most members of Congress aren't tech experts, although many have policy backgrounds that touch tech issues. There are only 8 engineers in Congress (7 in the House and 1 in the Senate) and 8 software company executives in Congress (6 in the House and 2 in the Senate), per the Congressional Research Service.
Methodology: Mentions include press releases, floor statements, email newsletters and social media.