Lieberman to re-introduce federal CIO bill

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said Thursday that he will introduce his bill to create the position of federal chief information officer after Congress' Easter recess.

In an interview with National Journal Group reporters, Lieberman said talks with the Bush administration have not begun but that Sean O'Keefe, deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, has agreed to talk to Lieberman about the proposal.

O'Keefe, whose office currently handles CIO-type responsibilities, has said he opposes the creation of a separate office.

But Lieberman said OMB "doesn't have the visibility" needed to bring agencies together for cross-agency e-government efforts. Lieberman predicted that his bill would not be too controversial, and he is seeking cosponsors.

Lieberman also said that before the Easter break, he will introduce a resolution urging the Bush administration to increase its emphasis on e-commerce and proceed with caution in regulating the Internet.