Expanded Benefits on the Table

Still uncertain is the total cost of the second contract and whether Congress might step in to block the administration’s plan to spread the cost across all agencies–and if it does, how the cost would be paid instead. That in turn would depend on how agencies would pay for the apportioned costs, including some to be charged against the current fiscal year that now has only two months remaining–and in particular, whether it might mean cutbacks in awards, training and other expenses for employees that are paid from the same accounts. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee has voted to provide credit monitoring for at least 10 years and $5 million in liability insurance for damages related to either breach. That language was attached to the financial services-general government spending bill, which won’t get further voting until after the August congressional recess, however. Employee organizations and some members of Congress favor lifelong benefits but see that plan as a possible first step that can be taken in the near future. In addition to credit monitoring and identity theft protections, some in Congress also are seeking an assessment from the administration of other uses that the hackers might make of the information. That’s particularly a concern related to the security clearance breach, which involves personal information that could be used for blackmail, harassment or intimidation with a goal of prying out secrets, for example. They add, though, that it’s uncertain how any benefit could prevent that.