White House names Williams acting GSA administrator

The White House on Tuesday designated Jim Williams acting administrator of the General Services Administration, effective Aug. 30.

Williams, currently the commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, was nominated to succeed Lurita A. Doan as GSA administrator on June 25, but the Senate has yet to confirm him. After a heated July 25 confirmation hearing in which Williams was grilled on his involvement in a controversial information technology contract, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, blocked the nomination, which cleared the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 30.

Grassley has expressed concern that Williams did not properly protect taxpayers in the renewal of a contract with Sun Microsystems, an IT company with which GSA renewed a contract over the objections of some contracting officers. Doan, and now Williams, had taken heat for allegedly influencing contracting officers to renew the award. The GSA inspector general determined the firm broke an agreement with the government that would have offered the agency discounts based on reductions given to private buyers. The Justice Department later sued Sun for fraud.

"Although I agree that he is a well-qualified and devoted civil servant, I don't believe Mr. Williams has the bureaucratic and intestinal fortitude to make the tough decisions at GSA when it matters," Grassley said July 24 on the Senate floor. "Because he failed to protect the taxpayers at a crucial moment, we should not elevate Mr. Williams to high office."

As acting administrator replacing the retiring David Bibb, Williams can function as the leader of GSA without Senate confirmation.

"It's unfortunate this designation was made because I have a lot of outstanding questions that have yet to be answered based on his hearing statements as well as my previous oversight of the GSA," Grassley said Tuesday.

"I am both honored and humbled by this appointment," Williams said. "Leading GSA during this period of transition is an exciting opportunity, and I look forward to teaming with our superior workforce on key ongoing initiatives and preparing for the next administration."