Biden signs order to make government more consumer-friendly: NPR
Evan Vucci / AP
President Biden has moved to cut the government red tape that makes dealing with federal agencies and applying for benefits an often complicated and frustrating experience.
In Monday he signed an executive order that streamlines the online application process for Social Security and Medicare benefits, gives taxpayers the ability to schedule callbacks with the Internal Revenue Service, and makes it simpler for disaster survivors to federal assistance registration.
“We’re going to make government work more efficiently for American citizens, so it’s not confusing and very simple,” Biden said as he signed the order. Most of the changes will go into effect over the next few months.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the idea was to make it “easier and simpler for people to access government services and benefits.”
The order includes a commitment to improve 36 “customer service experiences” across 17 federal agencies.
Other expected benefits include allowing passport holders to renew their passports online instead of in person and allowing low-income families to easily apply for federal benefits and allowing them to identify It’s easier to get your earnings back through programs instead of managing multiple processes.
The White House says it also intends to redesign USA.gov website to turn it into a “digital federal door” to access government benefits, services, and programs “with just 1 to 3 clicks, taps, or commands” instead of navigating to pages Duplicate or outdated federal web site.
Max Stier, head of the Public Service Non-profit Partnership, welcomed the order. “By placing the public – the customers of the federal government – at the center of all interactions, we have the opportunity to rebuild trust and strengthen our democracy,” Stier said in a statement. .
Biden’s order is not the first time the administration has attempted to streamline government processes. The Clinton administration has put Vice President Al Gore in charge of the “reinventing government” program, and other administrations have worked to make government services more accessible, with varying degrees of success. .