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Davis to join consulting firm

November 14, 2008

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., will be joining Deloitte Consulting to work in the federal practice area as a nonlobbyist when he leaves Congress at the end of this session, CongressDaily reported Friday, citing two sources.

Davis, who has had talks with several well-known law and lobbying firms as well as corporate offices, will be earning about $1.5 million a year, lobbying sources said.

The ranking member and former chairman of what is now the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Davis is arguably the most well-versed House Republican on complex procurement statutes and practices.

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He co-sponsored the 1996 Federal Acquisition Reform Act that helped streamline government buying, and wrote the 2003 Services Acquisition Reform Act creating the position of chief acquisition officer and the 2006 General Services Administration Modernization Act establishing the agency's consolidated Federal Acquisition Service.

Before his election to Congress in 1991, Davis was general counsel for PRC Inc., a federal technology contractor.

"This is not a revolving door for me," Davis told the Washington Post. "I am basically doing what I did before I went into government."

In 2007, Davis weighed a run for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. John Warner, R-Va. But after the state Republican party decided to hold a convention rather than a primary to select the GOP nominee for the seat, he opted out of the race.

In January of this year, Davis announced he would retire from the House. "After much soul-searching and discussion with those closest to me," he said at the time, "I have decided the time is right to take a sabbatical from public life. I will serve out the remainder of my term, and plan to remain an active contributor to Republican causes but will not run for office in 2008."

In the race to succeed Davis, Democrat Gerry Connolly, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, easily defeated Republican businessman Keith Fimian. The Northern Virginia district also is a hub for many high-tech information technology companies and government contractors. Connolly currently serves as director of community relations for SAIC, one of the largest federal contractors.

California Rep. Darrell Issa has thrown his hat into the ring to replace Davis as the top Republican on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Fellow House Republicans Dan Burton of Indiana and John Mica of Florida have endorsed Issa's bid.

Click here to read Shane Harris' profile of Tom Davis, "Perpetual Motion," in the July 15, 2005 issue of Government Executive.

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COMMENTS

  • "Work in the federal practice area as a non-lobbyist" Hmmm - and what could that entail that is worth ~$1.5M/year? I worked with Tom at PRC (where he was "a" general counsel, not "the" general counsel) - and I can tell you that even scaling early 1990 salary levels to 2008, he would not come within striking distance of $1.5M for "basically doing what I did before I went into government". Bob H. Posted November 19, 2008 3:54 PM
  • Easy Hits & the True Cost of Government – I have a proposal – as we critique lobbysts - including ex-Congressmen -- let’s also examine their services in light of the "true cost" of government? Dr. Paul Light, New York U., Brookings, etc. used to issue annually a study called the True Size of government - which would total all federal employees then add all the federal-contractor employees (a very approximate estimate). He named the final total the True Size of federal employment. – I propose a new edition of Dr. Light’s True Size – let’s add all the lobbyist employees engaged in lobbying the feds & Congress for gains to their clients (private, state, non-profit). The new edition would be called: the Grand Total of Federal Employment -- the GTFE. We can also add up all the salaries and bonuses in the GTFE – and call this the Grand True Cost of Federal Employment, GTCFE . With these two measures in hand – all those who object to lobbysts in general, or lobbysts tied to a particular federal product – say highways -- can then specify-which parts of the GTFE and GTCFE total should be downsized, or paid less. It's just the same old story - you American taxpayer don't want high priced consultants, ex-Representatives or lobbyist low-lifes among those who help (disgrace?) the governing process? o.k. - but what will it cost obtain the same federal products after we eliminate these blood sucking wretches? It might be enlightening to practice pricing the cost of your local highway – the one you use going to the mall. For these kinds of roads the financing comes from federal, state, and local funds (bonds, direct payments, etc.), and the federal funds in the mix often flows thanks those ex-Representative-lobbyts in DC – common drawing much of their pay directly from your state legislature, you State Dept of Hiways and ultimately your taxes. These guys bring home the dollar bacon to your neighborhood – so that pesky four lane gets widened a smooth six lane and you can beat the crowds to the big mall clearance sales. Now, Do you can get the same six lane minus the ex-Congressman? Or pay less for six lanes? same? Fine, fine – but how about naming a price – pretty hard to do you’ll find. So, we all know the drill: there’s no free lunch and no free outrage either -- everything costs, both vice AND virtue. Concerned Retiree Posted November 17, 2008 12:57 PM
  • I have to agree with Art's comment. How can an intelligent, educated person such as Mr. Davis, make such a ludicrous statement. Of course, by definition, he is using the revolving door. I'm not judging him, only saying, that is exactly what he is doing. US Posted November 17, 2008 11:18 AM
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