In the latest of a series of skeptical signals from Capitol Hill regarding the reorganization of OPM’s background investigation role, two senators have said the administration needs to be more specific in its planning.
A letter to OPM from Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., also says they “want to ensure” that the new entity, the National Background Investigations Bureau, “will not simply be a new name” for Federal Investigative Services. FIS is the OPM branch that conducts investigations of prospective and current security clearance-holding employees for some 100 other agencies under a reimbursable arrangement.
The NBIB is to operate more independently from OPM leadership than does the FIS, including having a Senate-confirmed director, while DoD will be responsible for the IT aspects, in the wake of the OPM security clearance database breach.
“We are concerned that this transition is moving forward without firm plans in place for the transition, operation and oversight of the new bureau,” the letter adds, asking for details including an estimate of when the bureau will be fully operational, timing goals for steps along the way, and cost.
Other points of concern raised in the letter include the backlog of investigations and the role of contractors in setting up the new agency and in its long-term operations.
The letter follows skeptical questioning of officials in several congressional committees since the reorganization was first announced.
