News Journal:Federal government satisfies all of our antiquated computer needs

Do you remember floppy computer disks?
Probably not if you are under 30.
Do you remember the original 8-inch floppies, soon replaced by the 5½-inch and 3½-inch varieties?
Probably not, unless you are over 60 and worked with computers in the early 1970s. Or unless you currently work in the Department of Defense, where the Command and Control System that “coordinates the operational functions of the United States nuclear forces” still uses IBM Series/1 computers and 8-inch floppy disks few others have seen for 40 years.
Yes, that’s the command that coordinates things like intercontinental missiles. I kid you not. And obsolete government computer systems are hardly confined to the Defense Department.
It is no wonder there are delays of all kinds at the Department of Veterans Affairs, for instance. The system that “tracks claims filed by veterans for benefits, eligibility, and dates of death” is run on computers that still use COBOL—a long-obsolete programming language developed in the 1950s.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the aging of our federal employees and the desperate need for a complete overhaul of the federal civil service system. We need competent people to run an effective government. But we also have to give those people the equipment and training they need to do their jobs in the 21st century.
Why don’t we always do that?
In large part, you can place the blame on government officials who would rather announce shiny new programs than provide the resources needed to keep existing programs operating efficiently. Presidents and Congresses of both parties have consistently turned down requests for administrative expenses from the various federal departments and agencies.
Just about every independent expert has pointed out that cuts to the IRS administrative budget over the past few years have resulted in far greater loss of tax revenue than was saved by the cuts. The IRS is also desperately in need of better computer systems, something it has in common with too many government agencies.
When I was involved with the U.S. International Broadcasting’s Voice of America it was quite easy to get funds to introduce new languages and programming to our target countries. But it was enormously frustrating when we couldn’t get decent funding to modernize broadcasting equipment. You can have the greatest programming in the world, but it is useless if no one can see or hear it.
I could list hundreds more examples of government agencies not performing at peak efficiency due to lack of funds for modern equipment and basic training. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress, has studied and repeatedly issued reports on the problem. It has called on the Office of Management and Budget “to identify and prioritize legacy IT needing to be modernized or replaced.”
According to Tony Scott, Federal Chief Information Officer in the Obama administration, “Agency efforts to modernize existing IT systems have faced substantial challenges. The high costs and risks associated with modernization efforts, combined with the increasing cost to maintain existing systems, is harming agencies’ ability to manage their portfolio of IT systems strategically and deliver the functionality needed to achieve their missions. In addition, given the presence of significant interdependencies between agencies IT systems, challenges in modernizing one system often have ripple effects across the agency’s IT portfolio, and in some instances, across the Federal Government.”
There is some good news. The House of Representatives has taken some action to begin to deal with the problem. Its Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held several hearings, written op-eds, and reported a bill that would help fund IT system replacement. The Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017 (H.R. 2227) would establish a federal board to oversee and evaluate plans to transition from the old systems and monitor agency progress on these transitions. Additionally, the bill would provide up to $250 million in both FY2018 and FY2019 for IT modernization efforts.
The House passed H.R. 2227 on May 17, 2017, with bipartisan support. It awaits committee hearings in the Senate.
It is important to understand that giving federal employees what they need to do their jobs isn’t some kind of handout to them. We are all the beneficiaries of giving them modern equipment and training. We all want to make sure veterans receive their benefits in a timely manner, the Department of Defense has the modern systems it needs to protect us, and FEMA has everything it needs to provide timely emergency aid during hurricanes.
As a first step, Congress must pass the Modernizing Government Technology Act as soon as possible. It is way past time to bring the federal government into the 21st century.

Ted Kaufman is a former U.S. senator from Delaware.