Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to oppose the nomination of Dale Cabaniss to serve as Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

With roughly 5,500 dedicated employees, OPM is responsible for managing the Federal Government's civilian workforce--overseeing government-wide policies for recruiting, for hiring, and training--and administering the healthcare, life insurance, and retirement benefits that impact millions of Americans every year.

The Director of OPM plays a crucial role in the Federal Government, not only by managing the agency's employees but by serving as a leader and an advocate for more than 2 million hard-working men and women in the Federal workforce. The next Director of OPM must have a proven track record of effective leadership.

While I acknowledge and I admire Ms. Cabaniss's long record of public service, which includes more than 20 years here in the Senate, I do not believe that her experience and qualifications satisfy the requirements of this very important and very challenging position.

Last summer, the Trump administration released its government-wide reorganization proposal, which includes plans to dismantle the Office of Personnel Management as we know it. Since then, Congress has repeatedly attempted to engage in an honest and productive dialogue with the administration about their reorganization proposal. However, they have not been transparent about the repercussions of this plan and what impact those repercussions could have on the Federal workforce. They have not demonstrated how taxpayers will be better served by their proposal, and it remains unclear if they have even studied the full impact of their proposal. In short, they have left too many fundamental questions simply unanswered.

The Office of Personnel Management is charged with safeguarding the nonpartisan civil service from the political motives of this or any White House. During such a time of uncertainty and upheaval, OPM needs strong and steady leadership that is focused on good governance and that will not be swayed by political whims of elected officials. This Agency and the millions of Americans it serves each and every day deserve a proven, independent leader.

Simply put, Dale Cabaniss is not that leader. While Ms. Cabaniss has some experience leading a small agency, I am not confident that her background has prepared her to provide the stability and the autonomy that OPM deserves.

Unfortunately, after a careful review of Ms. Cabaniss's record, I do not believe that she is the right choice to lead OPM at this critical time. I will be voting no, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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