News
Press Releases: E-Gov & IT General
April 17, 2003
New Office Signals Major Step Forward for President’s E-Government Initiatives
Headed by Mark Forman, Office of Electronic Government "Institutionalizes" President’s Initiatives
Washington, D.C. - The Office of Electronic Government was officially launched, signaling a permanent commitment to the President’s E-Government initiatives, the Bush Administration announced today. Mark Forman, who will head the new office, will lead a live on-line discussion on the President’s E-Government initiatives today at 3 p.m. at www.whitehouse.gov/ask.
"Before this Administration took office, the government was doing too much of its work the old fashioned way - slowly. The President’s E-Gov initiatives have brought the government up to the speed of the 21st-century. This new office will make the government more responsive to the on-line citizen and more cost-effective to the American taxpayer,“ said Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr., Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
The new office was created as part of the "E-Government Act of 2002," which became effective today. This legislation ensures government-wide IT leadership, creates a comprehensive framework for security and privacy, and expands the use of the Internet to deliver services in a citizen-centered, market-based environment.
”From reserving a space at a camp site to applying for student loans, from volunteering for community service to filing taxes, the Internet makes dealing with the government simpler and less time consuming. The new office institutionalizes the President’s commitment to using the Internet to empower citizens,“ said Forman, the newly appointed Administrator of E-Government and Information Technology at OMB.
The Bush Administration is also releasing today the E-Gov Strategy for 2003, offering further guidance for implementation of the President’s E-Gov initiatives. The Strategy provides an overview of the accomplishments of the President’s E-Gov initiatives since February 2002, the date of the issuance of the initial E-Government Strategy, the challenges to be addressed in FY2003, and the strategy to address these challenges. The E-Gov Strategy is available at www.omb.gov.
The E-Government Initiatives are an integral part of the President’s Management Agenda to make it easier for citizens and businesses to interact with the government, save taxpayer dollars and streamline citizen-to-government transactions. For more information on each of the President’s E-Government initiatives, please visit www.egov.gov.
For more information, please contact OMB Communications at 202-395-7254 or visit our Web site at www.omb.gov.
