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House GOP questions HHS hiring, pay practices
Republicans on Capitol Hill are asking why the federal health department has increased its use of special hiring practices in the last five years.
In a hearing Friday, a House subcommittee on health cited a July report by government investigators finding 1,461 Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) employees are paid above $155,000 — more than most federal employees.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) also concluded that HHS has increased its use of "Title 42" hiring practices — pertaining to the hiring of specialists with special salary requirements — by 25 percent in the last five years.
"The committee recognizes that compensating individuals with private-sector pay is sometimes necessary to recruit the best and brightest minds, especially in the field of science," staff with the Energy and Commerce Committee wrote Friday. "However, GAO recently found that HHS’s use of Title 42 has grown 25 percent in five years."
The staff memo touted a bill from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) to curb that growth and begin stronger congressional oversight of HHS hiring.
HHS has been under fire from House Republicans this week after a probe concluded that Secretary Kathleen Sebelius broke the law by campaigning for President Obama's reelection during a February speech.
