The 12 biggest government-focused technology advocacy groups are urging lawmakers to increase the Technology Modernization Fund by billions of dollars, bolster the managing board with added staff and expertise, and eliminate the repayment structure for projects tackling the pandemic and the recent SolarWinds breaches.
In a letter Wednesday to congressional leadership—including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.—the tech advocacy groups wrote to confirm their support for a significant investment in TMF, to the tune of billions of dollars.
To date, Congress has only approved a maximum of $150 million for the fund: After an initial outlay of $100 million, lawmakers have declined to add more than $25 million per budget cycle.
Shortly before taking office, President Joe Biden released the American Rescue Plan, which, among other things, requested Congress add $9 billion to TMF as part of the broader $1.9 trillion spending package.
Wednesday’s letter—signed by the Alliance for Digital Innovation; BSA | The Software Alliance; the Center for Procurement Advocacy, or CPA; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; the Computer Technology Industry Association, or CompTIA; the Information Technology Industry Council, or ITI; the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, or INSA; the Internet Association; the National Defense Industrial Association, or NDIA; the Professional Services Council, or PSC; the Security Industry Association, or SIA; and the Software and Information Industry Association, or SIIA—strongly recommended meeting that funding request and making changes to how the fund is managed and operates.
Along with funding, the letter calls on Congress to change how the TMF op ..
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