The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wants to know what is being done to prevent political appointees from gaming the system to get career positions in the federal government—a process called political burrowing.
In a June 30 letter to acting Office of Personnel Management director Beth Cobert, House Oversight chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, requested numerous agency documents related to the proposed conversion of political appointees to career government positions.
“Such conversions, or burrowing, run the risk of overlooking more qualified career candidates,” the letter said. “The Office of Personnel Management and appointing agencies must ensure that each conversion of a political appointee to a career position results from a fair and open competition.
“Hiring decisions must be free from political interference, legitimate and justified.”
The practice is legal, so long as the appointees are not given competitive advantages when applying for career jobs in the civil service
Since OPM reviews agency requests to convert political appointees to career status, Chaffetz is requesting documents show the number of political conversions that have happened since Sept. 1, 2015, documents and emails covering each pre-employment review that occurred during that timeframe and conversion documentation where the agency that made the request didn’t provide the appropriate documentation.
Chaffetz had previously that the Government Accountability Office review of all conversions occurring between June 1, 2009, and Oct. 1, 2015, including the salaries and positions of the conversions and if any agencies failed to follow appropriate procedures.
OPM released additional guidance on Jan. 11 detailing how to handle political appointment conversions in agencies. Emphasis on preventing political burrowing has increased as the Obama administration winds down.
OPM requires any political appointee who has worked for the administration within the last five years to obtain written authorization in order to apply for a Senior Executive Service position.
Employee organizations like the Senior Executive Association have warned about the practice as well, calling for a review of the conversions.
Chaffetz gave OPM until 5 p.m. on July 14 to deliver the documents to the House Oversight Committee.
