Document Production Status Update: OPM, FBI, and GSA

CHAIRMAN CONNOLLY'S OPENING STATEMENT

CHAIRMAN CUMMINGS' OPENING STATEMENT

PURPOSE

The purpose of the hearing is to hear directly from agency personnel involved in document production efforts, gather additional information about any obstacles hindering the agencies’ production efforts, and encourage compliance with the Committee’s requests.

BACKGROUND

In the 116th Congress, the Committee and Subcommittee have been conducting investigations of various topics, including:
• The Administration’s plans to abolish OPM and move its component parts into GSA, the Department of Defense, and the Executive Office of the President;
• The FBI and GSA’s role in the decision to cancel a long-term plan to move the FBI headquarters to a suburban location and replace it with a more costly plan to keep the current location; and
• GSA’s management of a federal lease for the Old Post Office Building.
As part of its investigations, the Committee and Subcommittee have sent a series of documents requests to OPM, FBI, and GSA. However, the Committee has identified a number of deficiencies in the agencies’ production efforts to date. GSA, FBI, and OPM have, among other things, withheld key documents, extensively applied redactions, and narrowly interpreted the Committee’s requests.

Witnesses

Witnesses

Mr. Stephen Billy
Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Office of Personnel Management

• Testimony

Mr. Robert Borden
Chief of Staff, General Services Administration

• Testimony

Ms. Jill Tyson
Assistant Director, Office of Congressional Affairs, on behalf of Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Testimony