By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The Secret Service is so short-staffed that it should seek outside help, two lawmakers said Tuesday.
The two Congressional members said the agency is losing agents faster than it can replace them.
“USSS simply cannot hire enough personnel to keep pace with historic attrition rates,” House Oversight and Government Reform Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and ranking Democrat Elijah Cummings of Maryland noted in a Tuesday letter to Secret Service director Joseph Clancy.
“The committee encourages USSS to explore innovative ways to fill this staffing gap-such as detailing qualified law enforcement officials or [administrative, professional, and technical] employees from other agencies-in the short-term while continuing its long-term efforts to develop a zero-based budget and increase hiring and retention,” they wrote.
The problem has been that the Secret Service has been unable to vacancies quickly enough.
“Nearly every USSS employee who spoke with the [inspector general] said they had serious concerns regarding UD staffing shortages,” the lawmakers observed. “Some employees characterized the agency as ‘hemorrhaging’ employees.”
