Top Oversight Dem demands OPM rescind CIO reclassification

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., called on the Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday to rescind a memo issued earlier this month that opens the door to politicizing government tech executives.

The memo, issued Feb. 4, recommended that agencies redesignate any chief information officer positions reserved for career senior executive service employees to general roles that could be filled with political appointees.

“I am concerned that CIO leadership is the latest victim of the Administration’s anti-Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility crusade and broader effort to replace career civil servants with individuals who are, first and foremost, loyal to the President and his political agenda,” Connolly said in a letter addressed to OPM acting Director Charles Ezell.

“The Administration justifies the changes outlined in the memorandum by noting that CIOs have responsibility for ‘controversial political topics,’ including ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility,’” he further wrote. “The Administration is advancing other substantial changes to the SES that we are concerned with politicizing the cadre of advanced professionals who run some of the most technical and important missions in our government.”

Connolly stressed the bipartisan nature of federal IT, noting his work with Republicans passing the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act and close to two dozen hearings enforcing the legislation under leadership from both parties. OPM’s memo would apply to several dozen CIOs across government, and Connolly said factoring politics into their decisions would have negative ramifications.

“The job of the CIO requires long-term planning as many IT modernization projects serve as long term investments that lead to billions in cost avoidance, sometimes crossing congresses and administrations,” he said. “I urge you to cease this attack on the civil service. I also request a briefing on future IT personnel classification plans from the Acting OPM director by March 11, 2025.”