⚡NIMITZ TECH NEWS FLASH⚡

“Unlocking Government Efficiency Through IT Modernization”

House Oversight Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee

April 29, 2025 (recording linked here)

HEARING INFORMATION

Witnesses and Written Testimony (Linked):

• Ms. Suzette Kent: Former U.S. Federal Chief Information Officer

• Ms. Margaret “Margie” Graves: Former U.S. Deputy Federal Chief Information Officer

• Ms. Maria Roat: Former U.S. Deputy Federal Chief Information Officer

• Ms. Erie Meyer: Former Chief Technologist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Federal Trade Commission
  

HEARING HIGHLIGHTS

IN THEIR WORDS

SUMMARY OF OPENING STATEMENTS FROM THE COMMITTEE AND SUBCOMMITTEE

• Chair Mace emphasized the critical importance of modernizing federal IT systems, noting that outdated systems compromise national defense, benefits delivery, and overall government efficiency. She highlighted that nearly 80% of the over $100 billion in annual federal IT spending goes to maintaining legacy systems, including those built in outdated languages like COBOL. Mace praised the Trump administration’s Executive Order 14158, which restructured the U.S. Digital Service (renamed “Doge”) to drive interoperability and responsible data management. She concluded by celebrating past bipartisan progress, referencing the Modernizing Government Technology Act and her reintroduction of legislation to reform and reauthorize the Technology Modernization Fund.

• Ranking Member Brown agreed on the urgent need to modernize federal IT systems, citing the persistent cybersecurity threats and the GAO’s warnings since 2015 about reliance on legacy systems. She applauded bipartisan efforts like the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act and the recently passed Federal Contractor Cybersecurity Vulnerability Reduction Act. However, Brown expressed concern about the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), particularly its potential undermining of sensitive data protections and recent layoffs of cybersecurity experts. She stressed that modernization must go hand in hand with responsible management and security, and called for continued bipartisan vigilance in protecting America’s digital infrastructure.

SUMMARY OF WITNESS STATEMENT

• Ms. Maria Roat reflected on her 40-year career in military, public, and private sector IT, emphasizing her collaborative work with fellow panelists on advancing federal technology. She described federal agencies as interconnected and dependent on shared information systems, especially during crises like the pandemic and shutdowns. Roat advocated for treating government IT as an enterprise portfolio, where modernization requires mission alignment, leadership buy-in, funding, and workforce readiness. She urged policymakers to embrace prudent risk-taking, shared services, and artificial intelligence to remove barriers, enhance service delivery, and modernize securely.

• Ms. Margie Graves underscored long-standing barriers to IT transformation, including inconsistent funding, talent shortages, and slow procurement. She explained that the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), modeled after venture capital practices, was designed to overcome these barriers by supporting high-impact projects with shared government-wide benefits. Graves cited successful TMF-funded initiatives at HUD, DHS, CBP, and the Department of Energy, highlighting cloud migrations, improved cybersecurity, and cross-agency collaboration. She concluded by stressing the evolving potential of technologies like AI to improve federal services and prevent fraud, calling TMF a proven tool that needs continued investment.

• Ms. Suzette Kent built on prior testimony by asserting that the foundational laws and goals for modernization already exist, and what remains is execution and leadership. She praised recent executive actions and technological advancements—especially in automation and AI tools—for enabling faster, cheaper, and safer modernization. Kent used legacy examples to illustrate how today's tools could accomplish in months and a fraction of the cost what previously took years. She concluded that sustained modernization requires a skilled federal workforce and leadership accountability, stressing that success is now within reach if barriers are removed and commercial tools are fully leveraged.

• Ms. Erie Meyer delivered a sharp critique of the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), alleging that its actions have caused widespread disruption and harm under the guise of modernization. She cited the breakdown of the CFPB’s complaint system, interference with mortgage processing tools, and centralization of sensitive data without proper oversight. Meyer warned that critical technical talent is being lost, and raised alarm over rumors of replacing staff with chatbots, calling it abandonment, not innovation. She urged Congress to support the TMF and empower public sector technologists, warning that Doge's chaotic approach risks prioritizing private interests over the public good.

SUMMARY OF KEY Q&A

• Chair Mace asked each witness to name the biggest barrier to federal IT modernization. Ms. Roat said the absence of business-side engagement in modernization efforts was a major obstacle. Ms. Graves cited inconsistent and insufficient senior leadership support as the primary barrier. Ms. Kent emphasized that strong agency leadership and accountability were critical to driving outcomes. Ms. Meyer agreed, noting that executive sponsorship was essential to making systems work effectively for the public.

  Chair Mace asked what one action the Trump administration should take to quickly modernize federal IT. Ms. Meyer said she would rehire 18F to bring back in-house tech talent and expertise. Ms. Kent said she would prioritize and fund the GAO’s list of outdated systems. Ms. Graves recommended taking a portfolio approach to find shared solutions across agencies. Ms. Roat added that cross-agency funding and coordination could improve efficiency and fill critical gaps.

  Chair Mace asked whether large contracts with excessive staffing and waste were common in federal IT. Ms. Roat confirmed such issues exist and said she personally confronted them when encountered. Ms. Graves said federal managers must justify every staff role to ensure meaningful contributions. Ms. Kent noted that collaboration and workforce upskilling were key to avoiding contractor waste. Ms. Meyer argued that funding the TMF helps promote better procurement practices and accountability.

• Ranking Member Brown asked Meyer to explain the impact of staffing cuts at CFPB under Doge. Ms. Meyer said all technologists were fired, leaving the agency unable to protect consumers from Big Tech abuses. Ranking Member Brown asked why a skilled IT workforce is essential to government operations. Ms. Meyer said qualified, ethical technologists reduce costs, accelerate hiring, and ensure system integrity, but many have now been lost. Ranking Member Brown asked how staffing cuts have affected consumer-facing services. Ms. Meyer explained that SSA staff working to simplify access were fired, forcing seniors back into in-person lines due to unresolved digital issues.

• Rep. McGuire asked the witnesses to reflect on what lessons could be learned from failed IT projects and what factors contributed to their derailment. Ms. Meyer said agencies often fail to observe how veterans and seniors interact with systems, leading to usability issues that could be fixed by simply watching users. Ms. Kent said many failures stemmed from projects drifting from their intended scope without accountability. Ms. Graves emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent, aligned funding across multi-agency modernization efforts. Ms. Roat warned that leadership turnover can deprioritize projects, undermining their long-term success.

• Rep. Ansari accused Doge of turning government IT into a reckless data grab and asked if it was possible to replace SSA’s system in weeks. Ms. Meyer said it was not remotely possible and that such data includes immutable personal details that require careful protection. Rep. Ansari asked how replacing federal workers with AI harms the public. Ms. Meyer responded that poorly implemented AI creates confusion, risks, and frustration, especially for vulnerable populations. Rep. Ansari questioned the legality of Doge merging protected federal data into a mega-database. Ms. Meyer said Doge was not complying with the Privacy Act and that she would never have been allowed such access at CFPB.
  Meyer added that limiting access to only what is necessary is critical for security and preventing abuse.

• Rep. Burlison asked how HUD’s legacy system upgrade could now be done faster and cheaper. Ms. Kent explained that code assistance tools have drastically improved in accuracy and cost since the original effort, enabling more efficient modernization. Rep. Burlison asked if federal agencies often buy duplicate solutions due to internal silos. Ms. Kent confirmed this happens and stressed the need for enterprise-wide visibility and vendor accountability.

  Rep. Burlison asked why federal agencies overly customize systems like VA’s health records platform. Ms. Roat said modernization fails when business units don’t partner with IT and insist on preserving outdated processes.
  Ms. Kent agreed, saying customization of legacy systems is especially rampant and expensive.

• Chair Mace asked about the national security risks of outdated government systems. Ms. Kent responded that outdated systems are costly to secure, prone to error, and can break under unknown dependencies.
  Ms. Graves said OMB’s high-value asset inventory helped prioritize which systems to secure and modernize first. Ms. Roat noted that agencies can layer modern security like multi-factor authentication onto legacy systems, though it only mitigates part of the risk. Ms. Meyer added that even mundane data, if aggregated, can pose serious risks, and noted that Feds still share passwords via unsecured spreadsheets due to lack of basic tools.

• Chairwoman Mace asked why the government wasn’t doing more with AI. Ms. Kent said AI has great potential but must be paired with people who understand the mission, data, and risks, as the private sector has shown.

• Rep. Subramanyam asked about 18F’s role and value before its elimination by Doge. Ms. Meyer said 18F was composed of skilled federal workers who made projects cheaper and more effective, often rescuing failed contracts through interagency support. Rep. Subramanyam asked if 18F should be considered critical. Ms. Meyer said both the team and its support function to other agencies were absolutely critical. Rep. Subramanyam asked how to support former U.S. Digital Service staff and their mission. Ms. Meyer urged continued whistleblower engagement and said morale plummeted after all designers and contracting experts were fired, despite their bipartisan commitment to public service. Rep. Subramanyam asked how to attract top tech talent amid morale issues and legal concerns. Ms. Meyer said restoring trust requires firm oversight, enforcing federal law, and ensuring staff are not asked to break rules or harm the public.

ADD TO THE NIMITZ NETWORK

Know someone else who would enjoy our updates? Feel free to forward them this email and have them subscribe here.