Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from South Carolina for her great leadership on this as well as Mr. Connolly from Virginia for his very hard work on it, too.

In this century, public confidence in the Federal Government depends on ensuring that our Federal information technology systems and websites are secure, safe, and effective. We invest more than $100 billion every year in Federal IT needs. Outdated legacy IT systems and infrastructure are costly to maintain and very challenging to secure against the onslaught of cyberattacks by adversaries and criminal organizations. The constantly changing landscape of information technology requires resources if Federal agencies are going to be able to protect data privacy, complete their missions, and effectively serve our people.

The Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act would ensure this important work continues smoothly by extending the Technology Modernization Fund's sunset from December 2025 to December 2031. It would also clarify the use of funds and maintain the repayment flexibility adopted by the Technology Modernization Fund, known as the TMF, in recent years while ensuring its solvency by setting minimum reimbursement requirements.

Additionally, the bill sets requirements for regularly updated inventories and lists of legacy Federal IT systems and high-risk Federal IT systems, as well as of the legacy systems that present the greatest security, privacy, and operational risks.

This timely and comprehensive picture of the Federal Government's most serious IT modernization needs will inform the ability of the TMF, the administration, and Congress to make the best investments.

The TMF provides a self-sustaining funding model that has become an essential tool for Federal agencies to address these challenges. It supplies upfront funding for IT projects in exchange for future reimbursement once a project's cost savings are realized, allowing agencies the flexibility they need to address modernization needs outside of the traditional budget cycle.

The TMF also instills accountability safeguards to ensure that taxpayers are getting strong returns on our investments. Projects are selected for funding after rigorous review by the TMF board of technology experts, and written funding agreements outline specific requirements and milestones that have to be met. Funds are distributed incrementally based on performance as assessed by quarterly reviews by the board, and technical experts provide hands-on support toward successful execution of the projects.

Committee Democrats have supported robust oversight and funding for the TMF, including a historic $1 billion investment through the American Rescue Plan. With this infusion, high-priority projects were also allowed reduced repayment requirements, if warranted. Since the infusion of these moneys, the TMF has received more than 220 agency proposals requesting more than $3.5 billion, far outpacing our funding availability.

To date, the TMF has provided over $900 million to 57 IT modernization projects across 32 agencies, and the Biden-Harris administration has embraced it as an indispensable tool to better serve the American people.

For example, TMF funding is helping to digitize veterans' records, ensuring that more than 1 million people and their family members who reach out to the National Archives and Records Administration every year get timely access to the documents they need to verify their qualification for important lifesaving benefits.

TMF funding is also expediting the speed and safety of food inspection at the USDA, leading to better meals for school kids and servicemembers alike. TMF funding also better secures all of our personal data at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Education.

I thank Representatives Mace and Connolly for their great work on this important project. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Madam Speaker, I urge everybody to support this fine legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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