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President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday focused on improving customer experience within government and building on its ongoing work to improve the equity of public-facing services.
During the signing ceremony, Biden said his executive order will “make government work more effectively” so that it’s “not as confusing and straightforward.”
“I know it sounds like a simple thing. I think it’s pretty consequential,” Biden said.
The executive order directs agencies to modernize programs, reduce administrative burdens, and pilot new online tools and technologies that can provide a simple and seamless customer experience.
“When a disaster survivor, single parent, immigrant, small business owner, or veteran waits months for the government to process benefits to which they are entitled, that lost time is a significant cost not only for that individual, but in the aggregate, for our nation as a whole,” the executive order states.
Neera Tanden, a senior adviser to the president, told reporters Monday the executive order looks to reduce the “time tax” associated with seeking out services from agencies.
Biden said there was a problem with people not knowing how to apply for such services, which could impede their lifestyles.
The government agencies will “focus on more than 30 key areas to make it easier to apply for services and benefits that they’re entitled to,” Biden said at the press event.
“Let me give a few examples,” Biden continued. “For millions of people who retire each year, you should be able to apply for Social Security benefits without needing to go to a Social Security office and have Medicare proactively reach out to you with the tools you need to manage your health and save money.”
He said there was an assumption among bureaucracies that everyone knows how everything functions, but it’s actually “a very complicated web” even for those with advanced college degrees.
Biden continued that the new executive order would make technology better, allowing security lines and wait times at airports to be expedited. The move would also allow for speedier filings and refunds at the IRS and for disaster aid, among other things.
“The bottom line is we’re going to make the government work more effectively for the American citizens so it’s not as confusing and it’s straightforward,” Biden said. “And we’re going to — because I believe this will go a long way to restoring faith in government.”
“Whether searching for vaccine safety information, claiming retirement benefits, receiving health insurance, passing through a security checkpoint, or checking the status of a farm loan application, Americans expect government services to be responsive to their needs,” the White House said in a statement.
“Too often, people have to navigate a tangled web of government websites, offices and phone numbers to access the services they depend on. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to ensuring an effective, equitable and accountable government that meets the needs of its people.”
