A small team of veteran federal tech officials is pushing for a comprehensive overhaul of the way the US government delivers services to its citizens. Led by Mikey Dickerson, a former Google engineer and first leader of the defunct United States Digital Service (USDS), they aim to create a blueprint for rebooting government services.
Their initiative, called Tech Viaduct, is in its early stages but has already gained significant attention from tech reformers who are disillusioned with the Trump administration's handling of government technology. The team, which includes Denis McDonough, former Obama chief of staff and Biden's secretary of Veterans Affairs; Alexander Macgillivray, Biden's deputy CTO; Marina Nitze, former CTO of the VA; and Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, is proposing a master plan to remake government services.
The first aim of Tech Viaduct is to establish an unbiased procurement process, create a merit-based hiring system, and ensure oversight to prevent similar failures in the future. The team plans to devise and test a framework that could be implemented immediately in 2029, without requiring consensus building. They believe that getting buy-in from lawmakers will be crucial to the plan's success.
The second aim is to roll back what they see as the damage caused by the Trump administration's handling of government technology, particularly under the "DOGE" initiative. This includes reversing the de-siloing of personal information and addressing the long-term consequences of previous missteps.
Tech Viaduct's work is heavily dependent on the election of a Democrat to the presidency in 2028. While Dickerson acknowledges that there are no guarantees, he believes that if an opportunity arises, they will be better prepared to capitalize on it.
The plan's prospects for success are uncertain, given the challenges posed by Trump's continued influence and the complexity of government bureaucracy. However, Dickerson remains optimistic and willing to accept the possibility of further setbacks or even being forced into hiding in his Arizona desert observatory if needed.
Their initiative, called Tech Viaduct, is in its early stages but has already gained significant attention from tech reformers who are disillusioned with the Trump administration's handling of government technology. The team, which includes Denis McDonough, former Obama chief of staff and Biden's secretary of Veterans Affairs; Alexander Macgillivray, Biden's deputy CTO; Marina Nitze, former CTO of the VA; and Hillary Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook, is proposing a master plan to remake government services.
The first aim of Tech Viaduct is to establish an unbiased procurement process, create a merit-based hiring system, and ensure oversight to prevent similar failures in the future. The team plans to devise and test a framework that could be implemented immediately in 2029, without requiring consensus building. They believe that getting buy-in from lawmakers will be crucial to the plan's success.
The second aim is to roll back what they see as the damage caused by the Trump administration's handling of government technology, particularly under the "DOGE" initiative. This includes reversing the de-siloing of personal information and addressing the long-term consequences of previous missteps.
Tech Viaduct's work is heavily dependent on the election of a Democrat to the presidency in 2028. While Dickerson acknowledges that there are no guarantees, he believes that if an opportunity arises, they will be better prepared to capitalize on it.
The plan's prospects for success are uncertain, given the challenges posed by Trump's continued influence and the complexity of government bureaucracy. However, Dickerson remains optimistic and willing to accept the possibility of further setbacks or even being forced into hiding in his Arizona desert observatory if needed.
! It feels like they're getting some serious power users on board, you know? Like Denis McDonough and Alexander Macgillivray are both super connected and respected in the tech world. And I love that they're proposing a merit-based hiring system - no more nepotism or crony capitalism 
! The idea of rolling back those "DOGE" initiatives is also a huge win for me, especially since Trump's still influencing the government. I mean, it's not like they can just erase all that damage overnight, but at least they're trying. And who knows, maybe with a Democrat in the presidency, they'll actually have some real power 
!
I'm all for this kind of initiative, you know? A refresh for the government services would be a massive improvement. The current system is like a big mess, and it's not surprising that we're seeing some of these issues pop up from time to time. I mean, come on, it's been over 10 years since the Trump admin was in power... how much longer can we keep going with the same old ways? 
I'm curious to see if this Tech Viaduct thing really takes off and makes some real changes. A merit-based hiring system sounds like a great idea, and I'd love to see them tackle that "DOGE" initiative head-on. Maybe we'll finally start to get our government tech in order 
. But seriously, this Tech Viaduct thing has me excited. The idea of creating a new system that prioritizes fairness and transparency over politics is music to my ears 
.
. It's time for some real reform, not just lip service. I'm keeping an eye on this one, and if it sticks, we'll be singing a different tune 
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. It's gonna take more than just a few tech-savvy folks to make some real changes around here 
. Still, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and see where this Tech Viaduct thing takes us 
.
I mean can you believe that he was part of the US Digital Service and now he's leading a team to reboot government services? It's like, how did it come to this? 
The way they're talking about creating an unbiased procurement process and merit-based hiring system is like, totally on point 
And reversing the damage caused by the Trump admin's handling of tech is like, so necessary 
I mean we've all heard stories about the "DOGE" initiative and how it messed everything up 
So yeah I'm totally rooting for Tech Viaduct to make a difference 
But what if they can't get anyone to listen? What if it all just falls apart because of bureaucracy or something?
. mikey dickerson and co think dey can just waltz in 2 reboot everythin' without gettin any buy-in from lawmakers? lol 
. what if dey get caught in the middle of all the bureaucratic red tape? 
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. i'm curious to see how this whole thing unfolds, and i hope they're able to get that democratic prez in 2028 
their idea of Tech Viaduct seems like a solid starting point, the idea of creating an unbiased procurement process and merit-based hiring system is like a breath of fresh air 
! I mean, can you blame him? The whole "DOGE" fiasco under Trump was a total mess 
. Denis McDonough, Alexander Macgillivray, Marina Nitze, and Robby Mook are all bringing their A-game too 
! Of course, there's gotta be some skepticism about whether this plan will actually work with Trump still in the mix 
. Can't wait to see what Tech Viaduct has in store for us!