See below for two press releases from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11)’s office, which is very busy these days – for good reason!
| Ranking Member Connolly Launches Investigation Into Agency “Reduction In Force” Plans That Threaten Life-Saving Government Services |
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Washington, D.C. (March 10, 2025)—Today, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters to the heads of 24 federal agencies requesting documents and information regarding their response to guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on agency reductions in force (RIF) and reorganization plans following a February 26, 2025, memo.
“The actions outlined in this memo will further enable the Administration’s political purge of dedicated civil servants from federal agencies. The Administration has already engaged in illegal RIFs, deep funding cuts that endanger many of our government’s life-saving missions, and the unlawful wholesale dismantlement of congressionally authorized federal agencies. This memo seeks to accelerate and expand these actions across the government.” The letter follows a string of Committee efforts to fight back against Elon Musk’s DOGE efforts to illegally terminate federal workers, undermine the nonpartisan civil service, and dismantle the services Americans rely on:
Ranking Member Connolly concluded, “I request that you submit to the Committee any materials your agency develops responsive to the February 26 memo. Please provide these materials to the Committee concurrent with submission to OMB and/or OPM.” Click here to read the letters to agency heads. |
| OPM Inspector General Assessing Risks to Agency IT Systems after Oversight Democrats Raise Serious Cybersecurity and Privacy Concerns about DOGE |
| Washington, D.C. (March 10, 2025)— The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Deputy Inspector General Vint has informed the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that the OPM Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will be incorporating into existing work topics of investigation outlined in a February 6th letter from Committee Democrats. That letter raised concerns about DOGE exposing agency systems to potential cybersecurity threats and privacy violations. The OIG stated it is initiating “a new engagement on specific emerging risks at OPM that are related to issues raised in [the] letter” and is assessing “risks associated with new and modified information systems at OPM.”
Ranking Member Connolly issued the following statement upon receiving Mr. Vint’s response: “Inspectors General must have the independence to carry out their mission free from partisan pressure and threat.That is the only way these government watchdogs can conduct their important work on behalf of the American people. The work of the Deputy Inspector General and the OPM Office of Inspector General must be allowed to proceed unimpeded.” On February 6, 2025, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Shontel Brown, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, and Rep. Yassamin Ansari led all Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Offices of Inspectors General at the Department of the Treasury, the General Services Administration (GSA), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) expressing urgent concerns that unauthorized individuals associated with Elon Musk or the “DOGE” effort gained access to protected government networks and sensitive data. Oversight Democrats strongly encouraged the Inspectors General to quickly address any potential threats to national security and safeguard sensitive government information against potential unauthorized access and misuse by private citizens lacking requisite clearance or any legitimate reason to access this information. Click here to read Oversight Democrats’ full letter to the six Inspectors General. Click here to read OPM Deputy Inspector General Vint’s response to Oversight Democrats. ### |
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