Washington, D.C. - Rep. Gerry Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, convened a hearing entitled “Document Production Status Update: OPM, FBI, and GSA" to examine three agencies that have not substantially complied with the Committee’s months-old requests for documents: Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and General Services Administration (GSA).
TAKEAWAYS
* Stephen Billy, OPM Deputy Chief of Staff, testified that his agency could not provide a legal analysis of the Administration’s plan to abolish an agency that provides health care and benefits to more than 8 million people because it does not exist. This makes it clear that the Administration has no idea whether its actions related to eliminating OPM are legal, and proves that the Administration’s plan is reckless and ill-conceived.
* Chairman Connolly reiterated his demand that OPM stop any efforts to abolish OPM and chastised the agency’s leaders for threatening to furlough or lay off 150 employees unless Congress provided the Administration the authority to eliminate the agency.
* Robert Borden, GSA Chief of Staff, testified that he “didn’t see any reason why [GSA] wouldn’t be able turn over" certain critical communications that would shed light on the Administration’s abrupt decision to abandon the long-term plan to move the FBI headquarters to a suburban location.
* Chairman Cummings accepted the FBI’s offer to make available a key official for a transcribed interview, in response to previous congressional request.
* On a bipartisan basis, Members expressed frustration with the agencies’ continued withholding of key draft decision-making documents.
WITNESSES
Mr. Robert Borden
Chief of Staff
General Services Administration
Stephen Billy
Deputy Chief of Staff
Office of Personnel Management
Ms. Jill Tyson
Assistant Director
Office of Congressional Affairs, on behalf of Federal Bureau of Investigation
VIDEOS
Watch Chairman Connolly’s opening statement.
Watch Chairman Cummings’opening statement.
Watch Chairman Cummings’ question line.
Watch Rep. Raskin’s question lines.
* Part 1
* Part2
