Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., are backing the conclusions from a new report the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Federal Cloud Policy published on Jan. 16 that highlights the critical need for Federal agencies to accelerate the adoption of cloud technologies.
Sen. Capito and Rep. Himes served as congressional co-chairs on the report, which unsurprisingly points out that Federal agencies remain “significantly behind” in the modernization of their IT infrastructure.
“In order to move forward in a secure and efficient manner, we have to bring our government systems into the modern age, and that’s exactly what this commission is all about,” Sen. Capito said during a CSIS event on Thursday to discuss the report. “This is a timely and important step in creating a more modern, efficient Federal government to best serve the American people.”
“The report and the work that was done is beyond compelling on the importance of accelerating the Federal government’s adoption of cloud computing in all of its forms,” Rep. Himes added. “The cost savings are remarkable, and the security will be better.”
The report lays out several strategic approaches that would help accelerate cloud adoption. These include streamlining cloud governance and the approval processes, adopting zero trust security architectures, and including mandatory cybersecurity requirements in cloud contracts.
It also recommends the Federal government consolidate cloud services for smaller agencies and reduce the number of Federal data centers, modernize and streamline funding and procurement methods, and use cloud computing as a foundation for AI adoption.
As Rep. Himes pointed out, the benefits of greater Federal cloud use are significant – including potentially lower spending, improved cybersecurity, and more efficient government services. However, the report notes that accelerating cloud use “requires cultural shifts, process amendments, and a commitment to innovation.”
To help lay the groundwork, the report also offers recommendations on how to move to a more secure and efficient government cloud environment.
Chief among these includes sunsetting legacy systems and enforcing existing contract requirements for secure cloud performance. CSIS also recommends “no more waivers” that allow organizations to avoid moving to the cloud.
Additionally, it recommends that an AI dashboard be created to monitor the cloud migration progress, using quantitative data from the General Services Administration, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), and the Office of Management and Budget.
Similarly, the report also recommends that the Federal government “fully automate” the FedRAMP processes, eliminating written, qualitative assessments and document review.
Finally, the report proposes a “fee for service,” meaning applicants would be required to pay for FedRAMP and similar certifications. The report says this could help “eliminate the growing backlog,” and it “would create a real marketplace.”
This is something FedRAMP also proposed last month, and the FedRAMP team is seeking comments on the potential change through Feb. 28, 2025.
“I’m not going to tell you that this is going to be easy to do, but I’m going to tell you that Sen. Capito and I are determined to take this report, to take its specific recommendations, and to turn it into statutory change where required,” Rep. Himes said. “We’re going to need the commission’s help in really working that through, but also in … encouraging other departments and agencies to take the steps necessary to accelerate migration to the cloud.”
