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Comment by coleca | Hacker News Reader

I am glad to see it's still around. I was worried that it would be cut with the change in administrations since it reports into the White House. The USDS is a shining example of civil service and the best of government.

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Has work there changed with the new administration? Wondering how much USDS tech goals change with different administrations.

Hey there, I'm the USDS Administrator. Most of our projects are the same, like making sure that veterans can get their health benefits. We've found partners in the White House who really want to make government work better for the American people. An example is Chris Liddell, who was CFO for Microsoft. Every administration is going to be different and have different interests, but we've been able to find common ground on projects, and those projects are helping people who need it.

Our mission has remained very consistent: use design and technology best practices to improve government services. The new administration has different policy priorities, but it has been remarkable to see the bipartisan support for our mission. Our work has remained largely the same. The major difference is fewer technologists are raising their hands for public service now, which constrains our ability to improve things.

> The major difference is fewer technologists are raising their hands for public service now

I suspect you are making a false, or at least unwarranted, generalization from “federal executive branch” to “public” here.

Good point! Lots of ways to serve.

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