GAO Agrees to Comprehensive Review of New Thrift Savings Plan Online System After Norton and Spanberger Letter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) announced today that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has agreed to a comprehensive review of the new Thrift Savings Plan online system after Norton and Spanberger co-led a letter requesting it. The members requested the review after hearing from constituents about problems with the system, including difficulties accessing accounts, discrepancies in account balances, missing or incomplete information, and hours-long wait times to reach customer service.

The GAO review will examine the planning, contract award and implementation, as well as oversight by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board and is expected to begin in November.

GAO's response letter follows, with one sentence containing personal contact information removed.

August 3, 2022

Congressional Requesters:

Thank you for your letter requesting that the Government Accountability Office review matters relating to the new Thrift Savings Plan online system, including the planning, contract award and implementation, as well as oversight by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

GAO accepts your request as work that is within the scope of its authority. At the current time we anticipate that staff with the required skills will be available to initiate an engagement in about three months. Your request has been assigned to Mr. Nicholas H. Marinos, Managing Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity. Closer to the time GAO can start this engagement, Mr. Marinos or a member of his team will contact the staff points of contact to confirm that this request continues to be your priority for us. As applicable, we will also be in contact with the cognizant Inspector General's office to ensure that we are not duplicating efforts. If an issue arises during this coordination, we will consult with you regarding its resolution.

Sincerely yours,

A. Nicole Clowers

Managing Director

Congressional Relations

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