Elections could hold major changes for tech subcommittee

The House subcommittee that has jurisdiction over some of the biggest technology issues could have a drastically different roster after this year's elections.

At least six members of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet are either retiring or running for higher office. Several others are facing tough races in their districts and are at risk of losing their seats.

The subcommittee's chairman, Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA), is facing a tough challenge from state House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith. Rep Boucher, who's held his seat for 28 years, has spearheaded a number of initiatives on the committee, from drafting privacy legislation to making plans to reform a telecom fund that could expand the reach of broadband into rural areas. He is the 10th most powerful member of the House, but Republicans have attacked him for his support of cap-and-trade legislation, despite his district's roots in coal-mining. And some critics say he has been in Washington so long that he's lost touch with his constituency.