House leader mulls axing Government Reform tech subcommittee

House Government Reform Chairman Tom Davis, R-Va., is considering eliminating the panel's Technology Subcommittee in the 109th Congress.

"That's one possibility," confirmed Davis' spokesman Monday, adding no decision would be made until GOP leaders decide committee assignments and ratios next week.

The spokesman said the committee would discuss eliminating the subcommittee at its organization meeting later this month or early February.

"At the end of every Congress, the chairman examines the structures of the subcommittees to determine if any changes are necessary," said the spokesman. "Before that happens, the committee needs to know which members will form its roster."

He added Davis would make changes based on the interest and expertise of panel members. One House GOP aide said Davis could elevate information technology issues to the full committee level.

"If there were a decision to take aspects of a subcommittee and bring them up to the full committee, it would signal the importance towards the issue," said the aide.

Indeed, after GOP leaders appointed Davis to another term as chairman last week, Davis described information as "the oil of the 21st century" and warned of the government's inadequacy.

"The reality is, we are incapable of storing, moving and accessing information. No government does these things well, especially big governments," said Davis in a statement. "We spend $150 billion a year on information technology. You'd think we could share information by now. But we are still an analog government in a digital economy and culture." He also mentioned in a speech last month that focusing on IT issues at the full committee level was an option.

If the subcommittee is eliminated, it would follow the loss of Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Fla., in September as subcommittee chairman. Putnam left the helm after GOP leaders placed him on the House Rules Committee to replace Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., who resigned to become CIA director.

Davis did not name a replacement to finish up the remaining months of the 108th Congress.

David McClure, vice president for e-government at the Council for Excellence in Government, said raising IT issues to the full committee would be a powerful move. He said Davis would not be able to hold the "quality or quantity" of hearings as Putnam's subcommittee, but Davis would raise the value of the issues.

Under Putnam's tenure, the subcommittee held more than 30 hearings on several IT topics, including cybersecurity and e-government. Putnam also pressed the private sector to bolster accountability for computer security, and called on consumers, industry and the government to deal with cybersecurity threats.