AUTHOR ARCHIVES

Kellie Lunney

Senior Correspondent Kellie Lunney covers federal pay and benefits issues, the budget process and financial management. After starting her career in journalism at Government Executive in 2000, she returned in 2008 after four years at sister publication National Journal writing profiles of influential Washingtonians. In 2006, she received a fellowship at the Ohio State University through the Kiplinger Public Affairs in Journalism program, where she worked on a project that looked at rebuilding affordable housing in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. She has appeared on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, NPR and Feature Story News, where she participated in a weekly radio roundtable on the 2008 presidential campaign. In the late 1990s, she worked at the Housing and Urban Development Department as a career employee. She is a graduate of Colgate University.
Results 1281-1290 of 2302

Retirement claims backlog is down since January

April 9, 2012 The Office of Personnel Management processed more retirement claims in March than in the previous two months, making a dent in its backlog despite an increase in claims, according to agency figures. OPM’s retirement claims backlog was 52,274 in March, a decrease of 14 percent from January. The agency received...

EEOC urged to tackle conflicts of interest in federal complaint process

April 5, 2012 Agency attorneys interfering in the federal discrimination complaint process is still a major problem, government civil rights leaders said Thursday, urging the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to clarify its guidance on the issue this year. The Office of General Counsel in some agencies continues to intrude in the EEO complaint...

‘Telework’ isn’t working, some say

April 3, 2012 The days of "telework" in the federal government could be numbered, at least under that name. The practice of working outside the office isn’t going anywhere, but dropping the use of the word “telework” could help make the benefit more widespread in agencies, according to participants in a Tuesday discussion...

TSP fund growth slows in March

April 2, 2012 All the funds in the Thrift Savings Plan continued their positive streak in March except the fixed income bond offering, according to the latest numbers from the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. The F Fund decreased 0.61 percent -- the only negative monthly return posted by any TSP fund so...

Spotlight On USPS

April 1, 2012 When a government agency or a business runs into serious financial trouble, it’s often a sign that somewhere along the way oversight fell short. The U.S. Postal Service, which lost $3.3 billion in the first quarter of fiscal 2012 alone and is arguably in the worst financial shape right now...

House postal bill would save billions, CBO says

March 30, 2012 House legislation aimed at reforming the business operations of the U.S. Postal Service would save the agency about $20 billion during the next decade, according to an updated analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill, approved in 2011 by the House Oversight and Government Reform...

House backs pay freeze extension

March 29, 2012 The House on Thursday passed a measure that extends the federal pay freeze, downsizes the government workforce and increases the amount federal employees contribute to their pensions. In a 228 to 191 vote that split along party lines, the chamber approved the Republican fiscal 2013 budget plan, including the provisions...

Lawmakers to TSA: Keep Your Day Job

March 28, 2012 The Transportation Security Administration is not known for its sense of humor and some lawmakers would like to keep it that way. During a hearing Wednesday on rightsizing the agency’s workforce, a House Homeland Security subcommittee chairman questioned the glib tone of some TSA blog posts related to security procedure...

Groups rip GOP plan to extend pay freeze, cut workforce

March 28, 2012 Federal employee groups are calling on lawmakers to oppose a budget proposal that would extend the federal pay freeze and reduce the government workforce. The House on Wednesday began debate on the fiscal 2013 budget and is expected to pass legislation Thursday that includes $368 billion in cuts to the...

Democratic budget plan doesn’t touch federal pay and benefits

March 27, 2012 The House Democratic budget plan does not include any provisions affecting the pay or benefits of federal employees, a top lawmaker confirmed Tuesday. Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen, whose district includes many federal workers, said there is nothing in the House Democratic budget blueprint that would modify the compensation of...