The changing political landscape: the war on terrorism delays congressional action on privacy, the Paperwork Reduction Act, and e-government.

• Author: Tillman, Bob
• Position: Capital edge: legislative & regulatory update

The recent terrorist attacks on the United States have radically changed political agendas worldwide.

The pre-September 11, 2001, U.S. legislative agenda has been postponed until well into the 2002 session of Congress. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate are delaying most legislative business in order to complete work on anti-terrorism legislation, an economic stimulus package, and appropriations for fiscal year 2002.

There had been as many as 12 congressional hearings on Internet privacy and e-government in the months leading up to September 11. Since then, there have been numerous hearings focusing on more pressing concerns, such as critical infrastructure, bioterrorism, and homeland security. Likewise, the debate over Internet privacy now focuses on possible civil liberty violations with anti-terrorism legislation. The Bush Administration has asked Congress for additional powers to conduct surveillance, install wiretaps, and gain access to information about individuals. A new congressional debate could involve balancing individuals' civil liberties with the need for law enforcement officials to have increased surveillance powers for investigating suspected terrorists and terrorist activities.

Paperwork Reduction Legislation Postponed

In 2001, Congress held three hearings concerning paperwork reduction efforts in the government, and the House passed one bill relating to small business paperwork reduction (H.R. 327). Now, it is unlikely this bill will receive any attention in the Senate. Even though the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) was scheduled to be reauthorized in 2001, any substantive changes to the underlying PRA will have to wait for later reauthorization legislation.

The Latest on E-Government Initiatives

Congress has had an interest in e-government initiatives for a number of years, with various bills seeking to streamline government information management systems introduced. The most recent legislation is the e-Government Act of 2001. Introduced in both the House (H.R. 2458) and the Senate (S. 803), the legislation would consolidate the information management functions of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) by creating a federal chief information officer (CIO).

Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT), the Senate sponsor of S. 803, has held one hearing on the subject. The House Government Reform Subcommittee on Technology and Procurement Policy had scheduled a hearing on October 17 to discuss electronic government and information technology initiatives. The hearing was cancelled after the House building was temporarily closed due to anthrax exposure...