Musical Chairs

Sen. James Jeffords (I-Vt.) decision to leave the GOP tips the Senate balance in favor of the Democratic party, which in turn will cause committee chairs to shift as early as this week.

Follow that? The important thing for IT contractors is that the new leadership will spell new legislative and policy priorities. Forrester Research believes the reshuffle bodes well for e-government initiatives, which aim to put citizen services online.

“As Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) takes the reins of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, the deployment of more robust federal e-government services comes closer to reality,” Forrester wrote in a recent bulletin. “Enjoying national prominence and positioning himself as an unabashed e-government champion with his E-Government Act of 2001 (S.803), Lieberman has enhanced the prospect of improved online services and the creation of a federal CIO within the Office of Management & Budget.”

The Democratic transition also may impact outsourcing in the federal sector. The Bush administration favors increased outsourcing. The Presidents budget states a desire to open “government functions to competition, to the fullest extent possible.” Outsourcings potential to dislocate federal employees, however, may not set as well with Democratic lawmakers.