Ignore Those Rumors: The White House Doesn’t Oppose IT Reform, Lawmaker Says

Joseph Marks | Nextgov | August 16, 2013

The perception among federal technology watchers that U.S. Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel and other officials from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget oppose a plan to overhaul government IT spending is off the mark, a co-sponsor of that bill says.

“Unfortunately, I believe a false narrative has formed in the Fed IT community suggesting that OMB opposes or has serious concerns with FITARA [The Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act], Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said in an email to Nextgov Thursday.

“In fact, based on my personal conversations with Steve, I believe nothing could be further from the truth,” Connolly continued. VanRoekel’s office has made several encouraging overtures to Connolly’s office, he said, “indicating a desire to improve our communication and foster a more collaborative relationship between us.”