Rep. Stephanie Bice
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK), chairman of the U.S. House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation, said the subcommittee recommended that three new projects receive funding from the Modernization Initiatives Account (MIA), which funds initiatives to update operations for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Specifically, the subcommittee has requested MIA funding for discovery work on a CMS Innovation Project to create a dynamic data platform and vendor ecosystem designed to modernize how members engage and interact with their constituents, according to a July 28 statement the committee released.
Additionally, funding was recommended for discovery work on a Committee Archiving Project and for a House Sergeant at Arms (HSAA) WebEOC Modernization Project. Both projects would considerably improve outdated legacy systems and make House operations more efficient, the statement said.
“The CMS [Content Management System] Innovation Project will greatly improve the connection between members and their constituents by providing member offices with innovative technologies to enable better communication,” Rep. Bice said. “Updating obsolete systems to meet today’s needs will also help the House work better for the American people, and that’s exactly what the Committee Archiving Project and the HSAA Project will do.”
U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA), ranking member of the House Administration Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation, said the modernization of Congress must keep pace with evolving technology.
“That’s why I’m proud to work with my colleagues on projects like the [CMS] Innovation Project, which will make it easier for members to serve their constituents and get things done,” she said.
Funding for the three improvement initiatives is subject to the approval of the U.S. House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee and the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.