Horn retiring

Rep. Steve Horn (R-Calif.), a retired university professor who became famous for using report cards to assess agency performance, announced Tuesday that he will retire at the end of this term of Congress.

Horn, who has issued report cards on issues ranging from year 2000 fixes to computer security to financial management, is a nine-year House veteran who has been one of the most knowledgeable lawmakers on government technology issues.

Horn, who is currently chairman of the House Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management and Intergovernmental Relations, cited California's redistricting as a reason for leaving.

"The redistricting process has created major changes" in his district, which includes the Long Beach area in Southern California, Horn said. "It is also a particularly fitting time to step down at the end of this term because virtually every goal I supported in 1992 for the nation and for the district has been achieved," he said.

Horn maintained a spotlight on information technology issues. As chairman of the then-House Government Reform Committee's Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, he was one of the first members of Congress to make the Year 2000 date change a prominent issue. The Year 2000 problem was the genesis of his report cards.

In his statement, he cited his Year 2000 efforts as one of his successes.

IT executives have a love-hate relationship with Horn's report cards. In the Year 2000 efforts, they were often frustrated that the report cards were not an adequate reflection of their efforts. Yet they also have acknowledged that the report cards helped garner senior management attention to the issue.

Horn is a moderate Republican serving in a Democratic-leaning district. He narrowly won re-election last year.

Horn served as president of California State University, Long Beach for 18 years.

It is unknown who will take his post as subcommittee chairman.