Lawmaker Urges Revival of IT Scorecards
Rep. James Walkinshaw wants congressional oversight to restart FITARA-style agency IT scorecards that have lapsed in recent years.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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Rep. James Walkinshaw called for congressional oversight to revive IT scorecards modeled on the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA). The scorecards, developed by Gerry Connolly and Darrell Issa, have fallen by the wayside in recent years.
Why it matters
Agencies have shifted customer service to digital channels amid workforce reductions, raising questions about how federal IT modernization is being monitored. Walkinshaw's proposal would add cybersecurity and AI adoption metrics to hold agencies accountable.
The proposed scorecard would add cybersecurity and AI adoption metrics to FITARA's existing framework, which was enacted in 2014 as part of the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act. Congress would follow up annually to verify agencies are implementing the legislation.
The players
James Walkinshaw
Democratic U.S. Representative from Northern Virginia who called for reviving IT oversight scorecards.
Gerry Connolly
Former U.S. Representative who co-developed the annual FITARA scorecards with Darrell Issa.
Darrell Issa
Former U.S. Representative who co-developed the annual FITARA scorecards with Gerry Connolly.
The details
Walkinshaw, speaking at a GovExec event in the week of November 6, 2026, proposed a modernized scorecard for federal IT. Congress would follow up annually to verify that agencies are implementing legislation, and the Social Security Administration and Office of Personnel Management have largely moved customer service to digital channels.
Timeline
2014: FITARA enacted as part of the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act.
November 6, 2026: Walkinshaw spoke at GovExec's After the Midterms event.
January 3, 2027: The new Congress is sworn in, with Democrats holding the House and Senate majorities.
Under the Hood
The proposal seeks to revive the annual FITARA scorecards that Gerry Connolly and Darrell Issa developed after the 2014 law. Walkinshaw would expand them to track cybersecurity and AI adoption across federal agencies.
Federal agencies handling Social Security and personnel services may continue shifting customer service to digital channels, changing how citizens reach them. Tighter IT oversight could affect the reliability and security of those online services.
The takeaway
Monitoring how agencies implement digital services is central to protecting both citizen data and service quality. Renewed scorecards would give Congress a recurring tool to check progress.
Further reading
For more on federal IT accountability, see Cybersecurity coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Washington Technology.
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