Politico

General Services Administration (GSA) head Robin Carnahan is shepherding one of President Joe Biden’s most expansive government modernization efforts: fixing up its creaky, fragmented computer systems. She envisions a future in which people can access programs like food stamps and rental assistance as easily as they can order a pair of shoes. “We know that good policy gets sunk regularly if tech doesn’t work,” Carnahan said.

In a letter to Democratic leadership, the watchdog group Revolving Door Project is demanding Rep Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) recuse herself from oversight over the Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) because of her financial investments in large tech companies, as well as recent r

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), a massive trade group that represents companies on all sides of the digital ads ecosystem, is about to get a whole lot more involved in tech policy discussions on Capitol Hill. IAB has tapped Lartease Tiffith, an Amazon public policy executive and former aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, to lead its policy shop. And Tiffith plans to make the group’s presence known.

Sen Joe Manchin (D-WV) stunned the White House and sent many in Washington (DC) scrambling by crushing Democrats’ chances of passing the House version of President Joe Biden’s massive social spending bill, the Build Back Better (BBB) Act. Now Senate Democrats are scheming about what elements might survive if they can assemble a more Manchin-friendly bill, including a number of tech provisions.

While the logjam of Biden administration nominees is slowly loosening, Democrats say that it’s not happening equitably. Progressive activists and party officials are accusing Republicans of disproportionately delaying women and nominees of color in their quest for confirmation to the executive branch. Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the Revolving Door Project, said, "There are some very slow nominations.

European Union justice chief Didier Reynders is making the rounds in Washington (DC), meeting with top Biden officials to discuss ways to improve consumer protections online. He’s sitting down with Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director (and recently departed FTC commissioner) Rohit Chopra and Consumer Product Safety Commission Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric. Reynders wants to work with the US consumer protection agency leaders to better protect consumer finance and product safety online.