King, Issa Gain Cyber Influence in GOP-Controlled House
Homeland Security and Government Reform Would Get New Leaders
Various congressional panels have cybersecurity oversight, but the two with the most influence in the House of Representatives are Homeland Security and Oversight and Governmental Reform.
Poised to chair those committees should the Republicans take control of the House of Representatives are Homeland Security's Peter King of Long Island, N.Y., and Oversight and Governmental Reform's Darrell Issa of Southern California, both the ranking members of their respective committees. Unlike their GOP colleague Mike McCaul of Texas, who has staked out a leadership role on IT security matters, King and Issa have not been as visible on promoting cybersecurity legislation. Still, as chairs of both committees, they would be key players in determining what cybersecurity legislation the House will address in the 112th Congress should the Republicans win a majority of seats.
Bipartisanship is the hallmark of cybersecurity, but Issa is one of the more partisan Republicans, and some Democrats fear he would use the committee chairmanship to investigate the Obama administration. Issa said in a Wall Street Journal interview last week that he won't bury the White House with subpoenas and hold showboat hearings but added:
"I can continue to be the annoyer in chief if the White House doesn't want to work with us. But if they do, we have a real opportunity to get some things done."
Issa's reference wasn't to cybersecurity, but to issues such as healthcare and Medicare reform. In the interview, Issa said also wants to revamp how the federal government purchases and contracts for its information technology.
Still, if Issa isn't satisfied with the level of cooperation he expects from the White House, could further cybersecurity reform be collateral damage? Issa's comments suggest the answer is no, but some Democrats aren't fully convinced.
