House oversight of federal workforce, IT, cyber likely to be split between 2 subcommittees

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee looks like it will newly name and create four of five subcommittees for the 118th Congress to go along with the...

Leaders of the newly renamed House Oversight and Accountability Committee seem to be putting their mark on the subcommittees by revamping four of five. A draft of the subcommittee breakdown obtained by Federal News Network shows the biggest change is breaking the old government operations subcommittee into two. One will focus on government operations and the federal workforce, while a new committee will address cybersecurity, IT and government innovation.

The committee says the new government operations and federal workforce subcommittee will have “legislative and oversight jurisdiction over the federal civil service, including compensation, classification and benefits; federal property disposal; public information and records, including the Freedom of Information Act, the National Archives and Records Administration and the Presidential Records Act; government reorganizations and operations, including transparency, performance, grants management, and accounting measures generally; and the relationship between the federal government to the states and municipalities, including unfunded mandates,” according to the draft breakdown.

Meanwhile the new cybersecurity, IT and government innovation subcommittee will have “legislative and oversight jurisdiction over issues related to information security, including cybersecurity and privacy; governmentwide federal information technology management and innovation; and procurement.”

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) had consolidated the previous two subcommittees under the government operations one four years ago, given his interest in both topics.

Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) oversaw the previous subcommittee on IT.

The full committee still needs to vote on the final subcommittee breakdown and hand out subcommittee assignments. The final version still could be tweaked, according to sources familiar with the process.

The changes in the subcommittees come after Republican majority leaders also changed the name of the full committee to stress oversight and accountability from the Oversight and Reform Committee.

The other subcommittees include a new one focused on economic growth, energy policy and regulatory affairs. It will have “legislative and oversight jurisdiction over regulatory affairs, including federal paperwork reduction and information collections; population and demographic studies; labor policies; and impediments to economic growth and job creation.”

Another new one will be focused on health care and financial services, having “oversight jurisdiction over federal health care policy, food and drug safety, federal entitlement programs, monetary policy, banking, infrastructure, tax policy and oversight and legislative jurisdiction over the Office of National Drug Control Policy.”

And finally, the one that is similar to the previous Congress focused on national security, but also adds border and foreign affairs and will have “oversight jurisdiction over the U.S. borders, national security, homeland security, foreign operations, immigration, emergency management and criminal justice.”

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