Addressing Federal Vacancies Through Fundamental Transparency Reform

March 3, 2020

Testimony of Rebecca Jones, Policy Counsel at the Project On Government Oversight, before the House Appropriations Committee Legislative Branch Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations Requests Related to Federal Vacancies for the FY 2021 Appropriations Bill.

Chairman Ryan, Ranking Member Herrera Beutler, and Members of the Subcommittee:

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on the importance of addressing federal vacancies through stronger transparency regarding offices that require nomination by the president and confirmation by the Senate. Persistent federal vacancies are contrary to a direct constitutional mandate, and they force taxpayers to settle for opaque, unaccountable, and ineffective leadership in the highest levels of government. The first step in ensuring that federal offices are filled in a responsible and timely manner is to shine a light on the approximately 1,200 positions that are subject to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998.¹