The federal government’s guidance for how agencies can begin reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic raises significant questions and could endanger employees, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.) argued in letters made public Wednesday.

In the letters — sent to the acting heads of the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management, who issued the memo last week about federal plans to “ramp back up government operations” — Connolly said the guidance could lead to conflicts between what agencies decide and what local officials are doing.

“The Trump Administration’s guidance for reopening the federal government is unclear and incomplete, puts the health of millions of federal employees at risk, and demonstrates a lack of competence and leadership when our federal workforce needs it the most,” Connolly wrote to Russell T. Vought, acting director of the budget office, and Michael J. Rigas, acting director of the personnel office.

In the guidance issued last week, Vought and Rigas did not lay out explicit deadlines, but instead described a multitiered approach that left some decisions to agency leaders.

A spokesperson for the personnel office did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday about the letters. A spokesman for the budget office disputed the suggestion that federal agencies were given unclear guidance.

“President Trump has ensured the government remains open and essential services continue to be provided to the American public throughout this emergency,” the spokesman said in a statement. “It’s no surprise Democrats in Congress continue to play politics, but the fact is agencies have been given clear and consistent guidance throughout this crisis to maximize telework, and they are now working to return to normal operations as conditions warrant across each state.”

Connolly asked for a briefing by May 15 to discuss what actions would be taken to support federal employees and agencies through this process.

Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), ranking member of the government operations subcommittee, said the administration has given federal agencies and departments “clear and consistent guidance on protecting our nation’s federal workforce” throughout the pandemic.