Hoyer Pleased With Technology Act
Steny H. Hoyer, House Democratic whip, expressed his happiness at the signing of the Modernizing Government Technology Act into law in December. The law is part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
“I’m very pleased that my bipartisan Modernizing Government Technology Act, which will create a new model for rapidly upgrading our aging government technology systems, has been signed into law,” said Whip Hoyer (D-MD).
The congressman last year vowed to renew the country’s faith in its government, and that faith includes complete transparency. With improvements to technology, the government can be more efficient, secure, accountable, and user-friendly. “Creating a Technology Modernization Fund, which this legislation does, is the centerpiece of that effort,” he said.
The Technology Modernization Fund will take advantage of the latest best practices from Silicon Valley, like cloud computing, agile development, and shared services. When upgrades to the current system are finished, agencies will pay back into the fund over time with the money saved through greater efficiency. All fund project details will be updated regularly online for the public to see, ensuring transparency throughout the upgrades.
Whip Hoyer said he was particularly proud of the bipartisan effort that was successful to pass the law.
“I want to thank former President Obama and former US CIO Tony Scott for originally proposing the idea for a Technology Modernization Fund,” Whip Hoyer said in a statement. He also thanked the many congressional Democrats who worked on the bill, especially Rep. Gerry Connolly, Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Elijah Cummings, and Sen. Tom Udall, as well as his Republican colleagues who supported the bill, including Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Will Hurd, and Sen. Jerry Moran. In the statement, Whip Hoyer said he will continue to ensure that Congress uses the fund in a way that helps agencies overhaul their technology systems without delay.
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