Trump Has Big Plans For The White House Office Of American Innovation

Late Sunday evening, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump plans to create a new White House office that will be led by none other than Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. The White House Office of American Innovation will bring a business perspective to public policy, and will focus specifically on using technology and data to modernize federal agencies and develop new infrastructure projects.

The new office, which will be officially unveiled on Monday, according to the Post, has been described as a "SWAT team of strategic consultants," a term that suggests its leaders will operate with a sense of urgency. The Trump administration has so far had some trouble accomplishing its goals: Trump's proposed travel ban has twice been blocked by federal judges, and the GOP-led effort to repeal and replace Obamacare was scrapped on Friday due to lack of support. The new office, then, will be "an offensive team" that aims to establish new initiatives and bring fresh business perspectives to Capitol Hill.

In addition to being led by Kushner, the office will reportedly be staffed by other successful business executives. According to the Post, the innovation office has already hosted sessions with over 100 private sector leaders and government officials, and will focus on advancing some of the key goals that Trump promised to accomplish throughout his presidential campaign. This includes revamping Veterans Affairs, remodeling workforce training programs, and developing infrastructure projects, like establishing universal broadband internet service across the country.

Some big names in the private-sector have already signed on to the project. Members have reportedly been meeting twice a week in Kushner's White House office, and have been discussing potential projects and decisions with the President. Ivanka Trump will also reportedly collaborate with the office on some policy initiatives, but will not have an official role.

In an interview in the West Wing of the White House on Sunday, the Post reported that Kushner said the government should be run "like a great American company."

"Our hope is that we can achieve successes and efficiencies for our customers, who are the citizens," he said.

The Trump administration's budget proposal, released earlier this month, proposed cuts to many government programs, like the Environmental Protection Agency. Members of the new Office of American Innovation say that they will continue working towards finding ways to cut down on government spending. This reportedly may include privatizing some government functions.

Kushner has already been working with the president on key initiatives like finding a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his new role suggests that his influence on the administration will only continue to grow. America will find out more about Kushner's role and goals for the new office on Monday.