Government Executive - Authors - Ethan Klapper

Obama signs payroll-tax holiday into law

Ethan Klapper, National Journal — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:22:32 -0500

President Obama on Wednesday signed the payroll-tax holiday extension into law, the White House announced.

The measure maintains a lower payroll-tax rate for the duration of 2012, extends federal unemployment benefits, and prevents doctors who accept Medicare from taking a reimbursement cut.

The law also increases the amount new federal hires and those with less than five years in government must contribute to their pensions.

The extension cleared the House on Friday with a 293 to 132 bipartisan majority. The Senate followed minutes later with a 60 to 36 vote in that chamber.

President Obama strongly supports this legislation, and on Thursday night praised the agreement reached in Congress that led to Friday's votes.

"Leaders of both parties have done the right thing for our families and for our economy by reaching an agreement that will prevent a tax hike on 160 million working Americans," he said in a statement. "The typical American family will still see an extra $40 in every paycheck, keeping nearly $1,000 of their hard-earned money this year."

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Alleged White House shooter charged with assassination attempt

Ethan Klapper — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

An Idaho man who allegedly fired two shots at the White House last week has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Obama, the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington said on Thursday.

Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, 21, of Idaho Falls, was arrested on Wednesday in Pennsylvania and taken into federal custody. He was charged on Thursday in a federal court in Pittsburgh and will be taken back to Washington to face the charges. Ortega-Hernandez only said "Yes, ma'am" when asked if he understood he was going back to Washington, according to the Associated Press.

The maximum sentence for Ortega-Hernandez's charge is life in prison.

Obama was not in Washington at the time of the shooting.

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State Department issues global travel warning after death of Awlaki

Ethan Klapper — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Awlaki, who was an American citizen, was killed by a drone strike in Yemen on Friday. The fact that he was American is what makes the situation unique, the State Department said in its advisory issued on Saturday.

"Awlaki's standing as a preeminent English-language advocate of violence could potentially trigger anti-American acts worldwide to avenge his death," the advisory read.

The drone strike that killed Awlaki was authorized by a secret Department of Justice memorandum, The Washington Post reported.

U.S. Citizens are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which makes it easier for embassies and consulates to get in touch in the event of an emergency.

The State Department's advisory expires on Nov. 30.

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FAA, controllers' union reach agreement on guidelines to combat fatigue

Ethan Klapper — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The Federal Aviation Administration will work with the union representing the nation's air traffic controllers to develop new sleep schedules that incorporate fatigue science, it was announced Friday.

The agreement comes after a number of reports this spring of controllers falling asleep during overnight shifts, but the new guidelines were in the works before then. They were created by a working group established under a 2009 collective bargaining agreement between the FAA and the union, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA).

"We are pleased that the efforts of the joint NATCA-FAA fatigue workgroup that produced these science-based recommendations have resulted in an agreement and their implementation into the schedules and work environments of our nation's dedicated and highly professional air traffic controller workforce," NATCA President Paul Rinaldi said in a statement.

Currently, controllers receive a minimum of nine hours of rest between shifts. Many controllers opt to cram as many shifts as possible into the shortest time period possible in order to have long weekends.

In addition to the new sleep schedule principles, which are to be created no later than September 1, 2012, controllers will also be allowed to listen to the radio and read "appropriate" written materials, according to an FAA press release.

Under the agreement, the FAA will develop a way to allow controllers to regain their medical certification if diagnosed with sleep apnea if treatment is completed. Currently, controllers are sidelined if they receive a sleep apnea diagnosis.

A Fatigue Risk Management System for air traffic control operations will be developed by January 2012 that will collect and analyze data associated with work schedules. This is aimed to ensure that the schedules are not at risk for increasing controller fatigue.

"Air traffic controllers have the responsibility to report rested and ready to work so they can safely perform their operational duties," said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt in a statement. "But we also need to make sure we have the right policies in place to reduce the possibility of fatigue in the workplace."

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