Press Releases

Today, Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Operations, released the  correspondence he has received from 24 federal agency Inspectors General (IGs) in response to his June 15, 2020 letter requesting the IGs oversee agency plans to return employees to federal office buildings.

“Whether it is rushing to reopen schools or federal offices, the Trump administration has repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to put optics ahead of science and safety,” said Connolly. “We have a responsibility to put the health and safety of our federal workers ahead of politics.”

“While I’m pleased that most Inspectors General have opened investigations into the Administration’s plans to reopen offices, just as importantly, the IGs must be allowed to do their work free of political interference,” Connolly added. “Continued congressional oversight is necessary for full transparency and accountability.”

Connolly’s June request followed the Trump administration’s failure to brief the Government Operations subcommittee on its plans to return federal employees to their physical office locations. Connolly asked the IGs to generate and provide to the Subcommittee oversight plans that ensure agencies incorporate science and the best evidence available into their determinations to reopen federal offices. 

Chairman Connolly is releasing the correspondence from the 24 Inspectors General alongside an online tracker that summarizes the status of each investigation.

The IG responses and the online tracker can be found here.