House bill would cut E-Gov Fund request by $2M

A House appropriations bill would give the E-Government Fund $2 million less than the $5 million President Bush requested in his fiscal 2007 budget proposal.

The House bill still bars the Office of Management and Budget from using $40 million in surplus money in the General Supply Fund to finance its list of e-government initiatives.

Nevertheless, the fiscal 2007 Departments of Transportation, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, District of Columbia and Independent Agencies Appropriations bill gives the E-Government Fund a $30,000 boost compared to last year's amount.

The fund supports interagency projects that expand on innovative uses of IT for online government services.

In the budget proposal, the Bush administration requested the $40 million to further the federal information, benefits, services and business opportunities fostered by e-government initiatives. The proposal stipulates guidelines for using the money, including adequate documentation, sound business cases, attention to security and privacy, and a way to measure performance against planned results.

However, the committee report states, “The committee refuses to relinquish oversight of the development and procurement of information technology projects of the various agencies under its jurisdiction.”

“We will continue working with Congress to provide the needed resources for e-government initiatives,” said Andrea Wuebker, a spokeswoman for OMB.

The full House must still vote on the appropriations bill.