Horn gives feds 'D' on Y2K effort

The top year 2000 watchdog in the House of Representatives continued barking at the executive branch to speed up its computer fixes Wednesday, issuing the Clinton Administration a "D" on its efforts to eliminate the millennium bug.

Rep. Stephen Horn, R-Calif., chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, gave failing grades to six agencies: the departments of Health and Human Services, Energy, State, Justice, and Education, and the Agency for International Development. Horn also hailed three agencies-the Social Security Administration, the National Science Foundation and the Small Business Administration-with "A" grades, calling Social Security a "role model" for other agencies.

"Many people in the federal government are working hard on the year 2000 problem," Horn said. "Progress is being made, but it is not being made fast enough."

Horn singled out Justice and Education for their slow progress. He applauded Defense Secretary William Cohen and Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre for making Y2K a top priority.

Horn said the most important criterion in his grading was whether agencies would meet the Clinton administration's March 1999 deadline for Y2K fixes. He gave bonus points to agencies whose executives were making Y2K a top priority by developing contingency plans, renovating telecommunications systems and embedded systems and making data exchanges with outside organizations compliant.

Horn deducted points when agencies relied heavily on replacing computer systems rather than fixing them. Horn said he had little confidence in agencies' ability to completely replace systems, given the federal government's recent series of high-profile information technology failures.

Horn also questioned the administration's contention that Y2K fixes will now cost the government $5.4 billion over four years. Horn said General Accounting Office estimates based on figures supplied by agencies put the bill at $6.3 billion. In its quarterly report, released last week, the Office of Management and Budget said it is reviewing $550 million in costs reported by the Health and Human Services Department. OMB also is not counting another $300 million in Y2K costs reported by Treasury for non-appropriated activities.

In its report, OMB said that half of the government's mission-critical computer systems are ready for the year 2000.

Horn's Grades for Agencies' Year 2000 Efforts
Sept. 9, 1998