Davis Named to Key Chairmanship

Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., who represents a district with a substantial federal employee population and who has taken pro-employee positions on many civil service issues, has been named chairman of the House Government Reform committee, the panel that handles issues involving employee benefits, working conditions and personnel policies. Davis had been chairman of the committee’s subcommittee on technology and procurement policy and has sponsored measures to increase the pay caps applying to senior executives and to make retirees eligible for the “premium conversion” arrangement in which active employees may pay their Federal Employees Health Benefits program premiums with pre-tax money. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, previously was named chair of the Senate’s counterpart Governmental Affairs Committee.