Federal Manager's Daily Report

The chairman and ranking Democrat of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee have joined in the call from Capitol Hill for President Trump to continue Carolyn Lerner, an Obama administration appointee, as head of the Office of Special Counsel.

The OSC enforces the Hatch Act and whistleblower protection law, along with the law governing rights of federal employees who temporarily leave their jobs to serve military duty.

“Lerner has provided objective and effective leadership at OSC,” said a letter to the White House from Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Elijah Cummings, D-Md. “She began her tenure in an environment with significant management problems and low morale. She has presided over significant improvements at OSC.”

The letter said that the successful outcomes for whistleblowers more than doubled under her tenure and that “both Republican and Democratic Members have voiced their support for Lerner’s work and her re-nomination.” That was a reference to a similar letter from Senate-side leaders on civil service and whistleblower issues.

The Chaffetz-Cummings letter added that “whistleblowers are key to exposing waste, fraud and abuse in government, so encouraging an atmosphere in which they are protected is critical.”

Meanwhile, Beth Cobert, acting OPM director for the last year and a half of the Obama administration, has been named CEO of Denver-based Skillful, a foundation-sponsored initiative to prepare and match workers, especially those lacking college degrees, with middle- and higher-skill level job opportunities.