Katie Porter: “Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, we all benefit when the government works the way it is supposed…”

“Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, we all benefit when the government works the way it is supposed to. A 21st century nation deserves a 21st century government. The problem is too many Federal agencies still rely on outdated systems not designed for the people they serve. This leaves people looking for help stuck in a tangled web of confusing application processes, clunky government websites, and poor customer support. Long delays and processing times often follow, adding to the frustration our constituents feel. It is why so many of them turn to us, their Member of Congress, for help. Our casework teams work hard every day to cut through the red tape, but it shouldn't have to come to that. When we fail to modernize our way of government, we are wasting tax dollars on inefficiency, but there is something we can do today with this bill to make government applications easier to find and simpler to submit and process. Congress can pass the Electronic Permitting Modernization Act, which I lead with my good friend across the aisle, Representative Doug LaMalfa. This commonsense bill encourages the Department of the Interior to offer an online option for as many of its permits as possible. It creates a web page where our constituents can find links to the Department's online permits. Then, it would task the Department of the Interior to report back to Congress periodically on its progress toward electronic permitting.…”