New House panel chair vows overhaul of IT management

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., on Thursday was named chairman of the House Government Reform Committee's Technology and Procurement Policy Subcommittee.

Davis said he intends to use the position to conduct a thorough examination of the federal government's information technology management, including a review of state and local models that might help improve the federal IT acquisition process.

"A primary goal will be to ensure that government services are readily available to citizens, and to improve cross-agency communication to foster greater innovation within these agencies," Davis said.

Davis is a former vice president and general counsel of PRC, a northern Virginia high-tech services firm. His district is home to several major high-tech companies that do business with federal agencies.

In the 106th Congress, Davis introduced a bill, H.R. 5024, that would create a White House Office of Information Policy. The office would encompass the duties of a federal chief information officer.

"I think we have an excellent opportunity to make the federal government more efficient and user-friendly--in a nutshell, to bring it into the 21st century," Davis said.

At the same time, Rep. Steve Horn, R-Calif., was named chair of the newly created House Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations.

Horn chaired the subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology in the 106th congress, where he earned a reputation for grading federal agencies on everything from computer security to financial management.

In his new post Horn will work toward making the government more accountable to taxpayers.

"My goal since arriving in Washington has been to work toward creating a more efficient, effective and accountable federal government. I look foward to this new challenge," he said.