As Silicon Valley’s representative to Washington, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) understands the intersection of technology and government and he is committed to representing the people and ideas rooted in Silicon Valley to the nation and throughout the world.  Rep. Khanna believes that technology is a job creation multiplier critical to ensuring economic growth and to maintaining the United States’ technological edge in the global economy. Rep. Khanna sits on the House Oversight and Reform, Budget and Armed Services committees and is a vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

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Rep. Khanna sponsored H.R. 5759, the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act “21st Century IDEA”. The bill, which was signed into law (Public Law No. 115-336) by the President in December, seeks to accelerate the digitization of government citizen services by promoting website and forms modernization and eliminating paper intensive and manual processes.  Rep. Khanna’s involvement in issues affecting federal government digital service delivery is needed and welcomed by an industry in constant need of new champions.

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Improving and digitizing citizen services has become the mantra of government in 2018 largely due to the efforts of Khanna and this legislation. It’s never easy to get legislation enacted in a stand-alone manner, and more difficult when you’re a freshman member of Congress for the minority party (now the majority party). The success of 21st Century IDEA can be tied directly to Khanna and his team’s above-and-beyond efforts. The 21st Century IDEA was bipartisan and bicameral, no small feat in Washington today. In the House, the bill had over 20 cosponsors, split nearly evenly between Republicans and Democrats. It was also strongly supported by the White House Office of American Innovation. Government technology and service to the citizen is always in need of new advocates and champions. Rep. Khanna--now a member of the majority party in the new Congress--will be a critical voice for improving federal digital service delivery and improving customer experience into the future.