Although the leaders of the committees that primarily
handle civil service issues on Capitol Hill apparently
will be unchanged in the new Congress, some changes could
lie ahead regarding how leaders approach those issues.
Congress returns to work next week for what could be a
relatively short lame-duck session in which members will
lay the groundwork for the leadership and committee
structure for the 2005-2006 Congress.
On the House side, Rep. Thomas Davis, R-Va., was reelected
and likely will remain as chairman of the Government Reform
Committee. However, the committee likely will have to find a
new head of its civil service subcommittee; Rep. Jo Ann
Davis, R-Va., held that position for most of the current
Congress but left that seat several months ago and the chair
has been filled on a temporary basis by Rep. Tim Murphy,
R-Pa. One possibility being mentioned is abolishing the civil
service subcommittee and having federal employee issues
handled at the full committee level, with possibly a task
force of members existing to make recommendations to the
full committee.
On the Senate side, Governmental Affairs Committee chairwoman
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was not up for re-election and
likely will remain in that post. However, in the new Congress
the committee will take on additional duties overseeing
homeland security, which could distract the panel from civil
service matters. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who heads
the federal services subcommittee there, was re-elected.
Voinovich has been the main driving force behind many of
the civil service management and benefit reform efforts
of recent years, and his role could become even more
prominent in the committee.
