Last month we reported on President Trump’s plan to nominate John Gibbs to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Gibbs testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as part of his confirmation process on Wednesday, September 9, and the committee is expected to vote on his nomination on Wednesday, September 16. If he advances past the committee, he would then be considered by the full U.S. Senate.

    

Gibbs currently serves as the acting assistant secretary for community planning and development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. OPM has been without a Senate-confirmed director since the unexpected resignation of Dale Cabaniss in March 2020.

Many of the questions asked of Gibbs in his hearing revolved around concerns of his past statements and tweets, as opposed to issues affecting OPM – including the proposed merger of OPM with the General Services Administration, which FMA opposes.

  

In response, Gibbs said, “I can assure you that I have led in a nonpartisan fashion over the past three years during my service in the government. If confirmed as OPM director I will continue to lead in a nonpartisan fashion. I’m very proud that my track record in the government confirms that. My employees, my dedicated civil servants that work under me, would confirm that.”