The Director, subject to general policies established by the Board, shall supervise the activities of persons employed by the Institute and may appoint and remove such employees as he determines necessary to carry out the purposes of the Institute. The Director shall be responsible for the executive and administrative operations of the Institute, and shall perform such duties as are delegated to such Director by the Board and the Institute.

No political test or political qualification shall be used in selecting, appointing, promoting, or taking any other personnel action with respect to any officer, agent, or employee of the Institute, or in selecting or monitoring any grantee, contractor, person, or entity receiving financial assistance under this chapter.

Except as otherwise specifically provided in this chapter, the Institute shall not be considered a department, agency, or instrumentality of the Federal Government.

This chapter does not limit the authority of the Office of Management and Budget to review and submit comments upon the Institute’s annual budget request at the time it is transmitted to the Congress.

The Institute may purchase goods and services from the General Services Administration in order to carry out its functions.

Except as provided in paragraph (2), officers and employees of the Institute shall not be considered officers or employees of the United States.

Officers and employees of the Institute shall be considered officers and employees of the United States solely for the purposes of the following provisions of title 5: Subchapter I of chapter 81 (relating to compensation for work injuries); chapters 83 and 84 (relating to civil service retirement); chapter 87 (relating to life insurance); and chapter 89 (relating to health insurance), notwithstanding section 8914 of such title. The Institute shall make contributions under the provisions referred to in this subsection at the same rates applicable to agencies of the Federal Government.