EEOC Faces Lawmaker Scrutiny for August Near-Miss Furlough Drama
Members of Congress are accusing the leadership of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) of “severe mismanagement” after the EEOC narrowly missed an agency-wide furlough due to lack of funding.
The furlough, which was scheduled for August 30, was avoided on August 20, although EEOC Chairwoman Charlotte Burrows did not say where the last-minute funds came from.
In a letter to EEOC Chairwoman Charlotte Burrows, House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) demand answers, accusing Chairwoman Burrows of “mismanagement” of congressionally appropriated funds.
“While we understand that EEOC has withdrawn its plans for the furlough, the fact you were contemplating this action demonstrates severe mismanagement of EEOC, which warrants scrutiny by the Committee,” wrote the lawmakers.
In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, the EEOC received $455 million from Congress after requesting $481 million.
“This enacted level has been known to you and other Biden-Harris administration officials for nearly five months, and yet you failed to take the necessary steps to ensure that EEOC would not have a service interruption. This included failing to adjust for security, rent, and contracting costs and to recalculate EEOC’s projections about staff departures,” Foxx and Kiley wrote.
Documents Requested
The lawmakers demand that Chairwoman Burrows turn over a slew of documents by September 10, including those shared between EEOC and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) related to the potential August 30 furlough and the decision to ultimately cancel the furlough.
Also requested, an analysis of the impact a potential furlough would have had on EEOC’s ability to process discrimination charges and an assurance that no additional furloughs will be requested in FY 2024.
In a statement to Federal News Network, the EEOC defended its position, insisting the agency was planning for potential budget shortfalls all year.
“The notice of potential furlough was issued only in an abundance of caution, while the agency continued to find sufficient savings to avoid having to implement one. Thanks to the collective effort of the agency’s staff and our operational management team, we were able to do so,” said an EEOC spokesperson.
