Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., is urging the U.S. government to consolidate technology modernization policies outlined in the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act and the Senate Republicans’ COVID-19 recovery bill.
Hoyer’s office said Friday that the HEROES Act earmarks $1 billion in Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) allocations while the GOP bill seeks $2 billion for technology updates specifically for the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) systems.
In his letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin dated July 31, the House majority leader proposed that the $2 billion be funneled into TMF efforts for the IRS. Hoyer noted that the consolidated funding would help eliminate barriers to the implementation of COVID-19 relief programs and streamline the modernization of government systems.
“Since the funds will be administered through the TMF, the long-term cost savings resulting from the IRS upgrades would be reinvested through the TMF’s competitive revolving fund model into other urgently needed federal technology upgrades, including the Treasury Department, the Small Business Administration, and other agencies,” Hoyer said.
"That TMF model has already proven effective through three years of success."
