Reps. Horn, Davis to Head New Subcommittees Overseeing IT Issues

When Rep. Steve Horn, R-Calif., takes control of a newly created Government Reform subcommittee, he will continue to oversee the computer security issues he has watchdogged since government agencies began fixing year 2000 problems.Horn, who took on computer security concerns in 1996 as head of the Government Reform subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, will now chair the House subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations, announced Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., who chairs the main committee.Horn's subcommittee will deal with government's financial accountability to taxpayers, a spokeswoman said. Accountability has been stymied by stovepipe systems that make it difficult to compile overall reports. The subcommittee also will examine how efficiently various parts of government work together. In addition to computer security, the subcommittee will oversee the handling of presidential records and compliance with the Freedom of Information Act. Self-imposed Republican term limits have produced other shakeups of committee and subcommittee leadership in the 107th Congress. Although Horn will retain oversight of some information technology issues, the Government Reform subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy, now chaired by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., will oversee other weighty IT matters, Burton said. Davis' subcommittee will examine federal information technology and procurement policy and practices, focusing on the effectiveness and fairness of the procurement process and management reform efforts. The panel also will review outsourcing and privatization as ways to enhance the delivery of services.Davis, who hails from Virginia's high-tech corridor, formerly served as vice president and general counsel at PRC Inc. of McLean, Va. Since his 1994 election, Davis has gained a reputation as an expert in IT and procurement, Burton said. Davis said he hopes to find ways to make government relationships with contractors more beneficial to both sides.