Congress Requests IG Oversight on Agency Reopenings

House Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) sent letters to the Inspector General (IG) offices of 24 federal agencies requesting they develop assessment plans for reviewing their agencies’ plans for reopening. The letters criticize a lack of cooperation with oversight bodies from the Office of Management and Budget and Office of Personnel Management.

In a series of letters sent on June 15, Connolly requested the IGs examine the plans and procedures departments use for reopening federal offices in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Federal IGs have played a critical role in overseeing the operations of the federal government throughout the pandemic. Your continued oversight is critical to protect the health and safety of our government’s most valuable resource:  its federal workforce. In recent weeks, some departments have begun reopening federal offices and requiring employees to return to their duty stations. The Subcommittee asks that you review whether your department and its managers are employing best practices and existing guidance when deciding whether or when to require federal employees and contractors to return to federal office buildings,” Rep. Connolly wrote.

The letters explained that the subcommittee sent letters to OMB and OPM in April and May raising concerns about the administration’s reopening guidance and requesting a briefing from OMB and OPM staff. While a response was provided to these letters on June 2, Rep. Connolly noted that the response “ignored our briefing request and failed to address concerns raised in our letters regarding the provision of personal protective equipment and coronavirus testing in federal workplaces.”

Therefore, the subcommittee requested the IGs oversee and review each department’s actions through assessment plans.

The letters indicated that assessment plans could include:

• Methodology to assess whether actions that department officials take to require employees to return to federal offices are based on evidence and research and meet best practices and guidance;

• Baseline metrics on various important indicators that will allow for future examination of department office re-opening plans, including the number of employees who contract the coronavirus;

• Assessment of department access to appropriate volumes of critical resources, including reliable coronavirus tests, personal protective equipment, hand sanitizer, soap and warm water, workplace dividers, and disinfectant;

• Assessment of department protocols for when an employee tests positive for coronavirus;

• Evaluation of inter-agency collaboration, especially with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to ensure re-opening plans are consistent with public health and worker safety guidelines; and

• Any additional information or data that will facilitate a thorough assessment of department policies and actions at this critical juncture.

The letters encouraged a prompt reply from IG offices to ensure the assessment plans are being developed and implemented.