House Appropriations slashes E-Gov Fund

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday cut the administration’s E-Government Fund by 80 percent from what Congress had allocated for fiscal 2003.The committee allotted $1 million for the fiscal 2004 fund, as part of the Transportation, Treasury and Independent Agencies appropriations bill passed last night.For fiscal 2003, Congress had earmarked $5 million to support the administration’s e-government work.For the second straight year, the Office of Management and Budget had requested $45 million for the fund to fulfill its promise to put $100 million into e-government over three years. Congress has given OMB only $10 million over the last two years.The Senate has not reported its version out of committee yet. Lawmakers had authorized $45 million for the fund through the E-Government Act of 2002, but it seems unlikely the appropriators will deliver on that promise.