Civility Initiative: 2003

Ray LaHood and the Civility Initiative, 1997-2003

In March 1997, Ray LaHood joined with David Skaggs (D-CO) to host 197 colleagues in an effort to promote civility in the House of Representatives. The three-day conclave generated more than 200 recommendations to improve members’ conduct and rhetoric in committee hearings and on the House floor.

The comprehensive set of documents linked below originate in LaHood’s Congressional Series, Washington D.C., Office, Subject Files, and showcase the bipartisan planning work LaHood and his colleagues undertook while hosting four civility retreats from 1997 to 2003. They also include press releases, notes taken during the retreats, and additional details on the reform proposals that emerged from the events.