Rep. Darrell Issa (R-California) announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in 2018 after nearly two decades in Congress, Nextgov reported Wednesday.
His 18-career in the lower chamber includes time as chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and as a proponent of federal information technology reform efforts such as the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act and the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act.
FITARA provided federal chief information officers oversight over IT portfolios and required agencies to consolidate data centers.
“The digital revolution had passed government by because government didn’t adapt fast enough from regulatory, administrative or management standpoints,†said Ali Ahmad, former senior communications adviser for the House panel.
“Issa’s chairmanship was focused on those foundational standpoints, and if you look at the DATA Act and FITARA, they lay the groundwork for agency leaders to move things forward.â€
Issa founded Directed Electronics in 1982 and previously served as the company’s CEO.
In his statement, Issa stated some of his accomplishments in Congress such as the enactment of the country’s first open data standards and implementation of internet regulations and new standards that seek to build up government accountability.
