During my routine reading of the congressional record (how did you think we made Capitol Words?) I came across a statement by Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont honoring ThisWeKnow.org, the 3rd Place Winner from Apps for America 2.

ThisWeKnow is a fantastic application worthy of the recognition, if you missed it before it is basically an EveryBlock for federal data. Type in your zip code or city and state, and ThisWeKnow will provide you with details that the federal government has about your community.

Senator Leahy’s statement perhaps says it best: “The public’s right to know is a cornerstone of our democracy. By using technology, a site such as this can provide citizens with access to data that is relevant to them and that can enable and encourage them to make informed decisions. This site is designed to make what was once a difficult and time-consuming process into a faster and more streamlined experience.”

Read Senator Leahy’s entire statement in the congresssional record.

Congratulations again to all of our Apps for America 2 winners, and thanks to Senator Leahy for recognizing the significance of this contest and all 47 entrants. You can keep up with ThisWeKnow on twitter or here at http://sunlightlabs.com/projects/thisweknow/.