Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., emphasized the critical need for federal investment in innovation and technology modernization to ensure the United States remains a global leader in technology and national security.
Speaking at a Punchbowl event on March 17, Walkinshaw explained that to lead the world in “creating a more prosperous, free, and fair society” the United States must “be leading the world in innovation and technology, developing it and deploying it.”
“It’s fundamental to our national security, economic security, and a more secure, just, and fair world,” he added.
Walkinshaw, a staunch advocate for modernizing federal IT systems, discussed the need for Congress to take a more active role in updating federal agencies’ outdated technology. He noted that both Democrat and Republican administrations have “not put enough emphasis on modernizing federal agencies.”
“They all could do more, and Congress should be pushing us forward in that direction,” he said, pointing to hundreds of legacy IT systems still in use across the government.
One of the major obstacles to modernization, according to Walkinshaw, is the federal government’s annual appropriations process. He called for a more efficient way to fund technological upgrades and pointed to the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) as a potential solution.
The TMF’s congressional authority expired in December, leaving its leadership unable to make any new TMF awards. Last month lawmakers on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee unanimously advanced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize and reform the TMF.
The congressman also touched on the growing patchwork of state-level privacy laws, arguing that Congress must update federal privacy standards. He did not argue for a national standard or against state-level privacy laws.
“Congress needs to act to update the Privacy Act and our federal standards and statutes around privacy. And I think the reason you see a lot of action in the states is because [congress] hasn’t modernized in decades when it comes to the Privacy Act,” Walkinshaw said.
He also explained that out-of-date privacy regulations prevent federal agencies from sharing information with one another that could allow them to be much more effective and efficient.