When the Electronic Industries Alliance voted to disband earlier this year, the EIA’s various units and lobbyists essentially found themselves on the auction block. This week another tech group, the Information Technology Industry Council, announced that it had beat out three other groups for EIA’s five-person Environmental Issues Council led by Rick Goss. [IMGCAP(1)]

Goss will become ITI’s vice president of environment and sustainability.

ITI’s top lobbyist, Ralph Hellmann, called the environmental group the “crown jewel” of the former EIA. “For us, this is going to be a great addition to what we already do on the energy front and underscores ITI’s commitment on environmental and sustainability issues,” he said.

The three other associations in the running for Goss’s group were the American Electronics Association, the Information Technology Association of America and the Telecommunication Industry Association. The other former EIA employees are Christopher Cleet, Colleen Pickford, Ha Pham and Valerie Rickman.

Restarting the Presses. After canceling a confirmation hearing for the public printer nominee last week, the Senate Rules and Administration Committee announced Wednesday that it will give the hearing another shot next week.

At 10 a.m. on Sept. 26, the committee will consider the nomination of Bob Tapella to head the Government Printing Office. Tapella currently is GPO chief of staff and has been working closely with acting Public Printer William Turri since President Bush nominated Tapella to head the agency about three months ago. GAO officials have long awaited this hearing, hoping that Tapella soon can begin to run the agency in earnest. The GPO has been without a confirmed head since former Public Printer Bruce James stepped down in January.

The hearing will be held in Room 301 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

— Kate Ackley and Emily Yehle