Profiles: Bush administration's IT leadership

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By Infoworld.com Staff

(IDG) -- Many members of the new President Bush administration have extensive experience with business and IT and are ready to influence the future direction of federal IT policy. These are some of the names and faces that will likely become very familiar during the next four years.

Don Evans, secretary of commerce

•  Former chairman of the Board of Regents, University of Texas System

Evans inherits former President Clinton's e-commerce initiative to oversee private-sector and federal efforts. Evans will spearhead U.S. trade agreements, including efforts to help companies through European privacy statutes via the new Safe Harbor agreements. The secretary of commerce said in his Feb. 5 swearing-in that he and President Bush share "a vision where our e-commerce entrepreneurs are free from excessive regulation so that they can dream and build."

Andrew Card, assistant to the president, chief of staff

•  Former secretary of transportation under former President George Bush; held top private-sector posts at General Motors and American Automobile Manufacturers Association; served as a Massachusetts state representative

As a hands-on White House honcho, Card on Jan. 20 directed agencies to stop evolving regulations, thus carrying out Bush's plans to review all regulations moving through federal agencies during the waning Clinton days.

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Charles James, assistant attorney general, Antitrust Division,U.S. Department of Justice

•  Former partner in a Washington law firm; stints in the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission.

James replaces Joel Klein, who policed Microsoft's alleged anti-competitive behavior in the landmark antitrust case. The Justice Department's antitrust division is charged with prohibiting practices that restrain trade. James is widely reported to favor settlement in the Microsoft case.

Elaine Chao, secretary of labor

•  Former CEO, United Way of America

Embarked on the 21st Century Workforce Initiative to bring the private sector, labor unions, and government officials together on New Economy issues. Chao will take ownership of policy issues around the H-1B visa program. She said in unveiling the 21st Century program: "I want to make it clear that this focus ... is not just about making sure that Silicon Valley has enough engineers. Our mission is to provide hope by equipping every worker to have as fulfilling and financially rewarding career as they aspire to."

Michael Powell, chairman, Federal Communications Commission

•  Former FCC member, chief of staff of the Antitrust Division in the Department of Justice

Powell's appointment drew praise from industry groups which consider the Bush choice a sign that the FCC will play a lesser role in industry deals. Some consumer groups expressed concern that Powell will be too sympathetic to industry.

In his discourse on the AOL Time Warner merger, Powell said, "The key is not to let our imaginations run away with us. ... Unfortunately, in this order [prescribing conditions for the merger], we do take excessive counsel of our fears, or, more accurately, the fears of AOL Time Warner's competitors." (AOL Time Warner is the parent company of CNN.com.)

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Bush seeks State Department IT modernization
(Computerworld)
Bush administration mulls addition of technology post
(Computerworld)
Congress readying privacy moves
(InfoWorld.com)
Bush budget likely to rein in high-tech
(The Industry Standard)
Bush appoints another high-tech exec
(The Industry Standard)
George W. taps dadâs old antitrust chief
(The Industry Standard)
Report: Bush chooses antitrust chief, Charles A. James
(IDG.net)
Bush expected to rattle federal IT
(Computerworld)

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