As we noted late last year, Rep. William “Bill” Shuster (R-Pa.) has replaced Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee—the body that provides oversight for public buildings issues—in the 113th Congress. (Mica was forced to step down after six years as chairman or ranking member because of term limits set by House Republican leaders, but remains a senior member of the committee.) Yet a reorganization of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee—Congress’s chief investigative committee—will enable Mica to continue his oversight of GSA.
That committee’s chairman, Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), announced the reorganization, which trims the panel’s subcommittees from seven to five, last Wednesday (January 2). Mica will chair the newly named Subcommittee on Government Operations, which will combine most of the responsibilities of the Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management with those of the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform. The position is likely to raise Mica’s national profile and puts him in line to take over as chairman of the full committee in two years, when Issa will be term-limited out of that role. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va), who served as ranking member of the technology subcommittee, is expected to hold that position on the consolidated panel.
That panel now has legislative jurisdiction over government management, including the efficiency and management of government operations and activities, procurement and federal property. It also oversees the National Archives and Records Administration and Presidential Records.
“Chairing of this investigative panel will allow me to continue my work in pursuing government waste and inefficiency with very broad jurisdiction,” said Mica—who has long been a strong proponent of selling off excess federal property—in a statement last week.