House Committee Nixes New Funding for White House Digital Service Team

The House Appropriations Committee approved a 2016 spending bill that would limit funding for the White House’s elite digital fix-it squad. Under the House plan, spending for Office of Management and Budget’s “information technology oversight and reform” fund would stay flat next year -- about $20 million. In addition to providing scaled-up funding for the US Digital Service, the fund also supports a handful of other governmentwide IT initiatives.

The White House requested $35.2 million for the fund in fiscal 2016 -- a $15 million boost from current levels. The committee offered few reasons for opposing an expansion of Digital Service funding. The committee report attached to the 2016 funding bill uses standard language also found in 2014’s report: “The committee expects OMB to improve the processes used to develop information technology systems. Using information technology to engage citizens can be a powerful and efficient tool but only if the systems work and citizens have confidence in them.” But it does not provide the Administration’s requested funding.