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

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.”