US Congressmen are urging the federal government to use blockchain solutions to scale up initiatives in the COVID-19 emergency.
In a letter on Wednesday to US President Donald Trump and federal officials, they said blockchain technology can help identify and authenticate people destined to receive government benefits, streamline supply chains and create a registry of professionals. doctors.
The letter was signed by the four co-chairs of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus and members Stephen Lynch, Warren Davidson, Jerry McNerney, Matt Gaetz, E Ro Khanna.
Continued support for the blockchain
This isn't the first time congressmen have urged the government to consider innovative technologies in response to the pandemic. In April, 11 representatives signed a letter calling on the US Treasury Department to consider blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) to simplify the distribution of stimulus funds to citizens nationwide.
Within a week of sending the letter, Lynch introduced a bill to reduce the failures of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) in the distribution of personal protective equipment: the new bill would require relevant government agencies to use private blockchain technology to inventory of each state, to ensure availability.
The goal is to facilitate the creation of a network that would allow the government to have a transparent view of stocks and to allocate resources where they are most needed, Lynch explained in April.
“I think there are reasons for adopting a very secure protocol. You could imagine cases where if the country were at war you wouldn't want this system to be hackable and so I think the private blockchain model probably works better, ”he said.
Implement new solutions
Lawmakers' letter to Trump echoes Lynch's call to use blockchain to create secure and efficient databases. The letter advocates a blockchain-based identification system, to securely store and authenticate an individual's identity "to receive the necessary funding or supplies."
Lawmakers explained how the integrated blockchain architecture can help easily identify people when they receive bonuses from the government, while the crypto approach protects sensitive data.
He also urged the government to consider supply chains that record origins, inventories and transport routes on a blockchain. "The lack of these essential supplies has served as a wake-up call nationwide as we continue to struggle to track down, redirect and provide the necessary resources to those who need them most," the letter reports.
Lawmakers have also suggested that blockchain could help create a comprehensive registry of medical professionals who would verify qualifications, positions, and help deploy "skilled personnel" in times of crisis. "Federal regulators need to be willing to get rid of red tape and implement new solutions," Representative Emmer said in a press release.
