Over the last five or six years, newly created modern digital service organizations have made government more efficient, more accessible, and more reliable—and we’re just getting started. I joined TechCongress’ Congressional Digital Service Fellowship to help bring this model and practices to the first branch.
In early 2015, on the tail end of the second Affordable Care Act insurance enrollment period, I moved from San Francisco to DC to work on HealthCare.gov. At the time, the site was mostly working due to the relentless efforts of many talented people, but it needed better technical and product foundations. I wound up signing on as the first hire at a company called Nava, and by the time I left, we had grown to be one of the larger digital service organizations. Over five years, I had the opportunity to help deprecate a 30-year old legacy system, implement legislation hot off the Congressional presses, and design and build software to help Veterans get crucial benefits.
Over time, I have found myself constructing then tearing down simple narratives about the problems in civic technology and how they affect our government. Progress is never guaranteed when tinkering with complex systems. It’s always harder than we expect, and it’s a privilege to get the chance to try. Thanks to TechCongress and supporters for standing up this unique effort. I’m looking forward to building a strong partnership with institutional offices, committees, and member offices to help Congress adapt to COVID and keep pace with the rapidly evolving digital age.