Workforce
Nation’s largest federal employee union endorses O'Malley to lead Social Security
News of the American Federation of Government Employees’ support for former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, Biden’s pick to lead the embattled agency, comes amid a détente between the union and management, whose relationship has been acrimonious in recent years.
Oversight
The CDC works to overhaul lab operations after COVID test flop
A design flaw and contamination during production at the CDC led its initial tests to give false positive results.
Tech
GSA is looking for participants for its facial recognition study
Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Sonny Hashmi said the study will help determine how to move forward with Login.gov.
Workforce
National security needs ‘whole people,’ not perfect people
COMMENTARY | The whole person concept is one of the most critical elements of the security clearance process, and one of the most vitally important ones to improving communication around mental health and wellness, writes one observer.
Management
'Long, long overdue': An oral history of the Government Performance and Results Act
Thirty years ago this month, a landmark piece of legislation aimed to change the very culture of the federal government.
Management
A small transportation safety agency is struggling to keep pace with growing responsibilities
Faced with “extremely limited resources" and the same staffing level it had 20 years ago, the NTSB is trying to do more with less.
Oversight
GAO: USDA violated the Anti-Deficiency Act while planning its relocation of science agencies
House Democrats renewed calls to institute tighter regulation of agency relocations in light of the watchdog agency's findings.
Defense
Hundreds of Defense personnel supporting Maui recovery efforts
Death toll in the devastating wildfires has risen to 111, with more than 1,000 people still missing.
Tech
White House names new deputy chief technology officer for policy
Austin Bonner joins White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, though the position of U.S. CTO has not been filled since 2021.
Workforce
Using special funding and authorities, some agencies are finding big success in growing their workforces
The Biden administration is growing some workforces to previously unseen levels.
Workforce
Bill to ban agencies from deducting union dues from feds’ paychecks pushed in House
Unions say the measure is designed not to help workers, but rather to interfere with their decision whether to join a labor organization.
Pay & Benefits
How phased retirement works
The ins and outs of a program that a lot of feds are curious about.
Tech
Defense Digital Service elevates top deputy to serve as director
Jennifer Hay will lead the Defense Department’s in-house team of software engineers and data scientists.
Oversight
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau helms multi-agency effort to scrutinize sale of Americans’ data
The CFPB and the Federal Trade Commission are teaming up to investigate long-awaited regulatory steps into the sale of Americans’ data by third-party companies.
Management
Leaders in both parties agree to pursue a stopgap to avoid shutdown
The House and Senate remain significantly divided over spending for the rest of fiscal 2024.
Tech
Senators seek details on SSA’s plan to modernize and simplify disability benefits applications
Three Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee asked the Social Security Administration for details on improvements to the Supplemental Security Income application.
Pay & Benefits
Per diem rates for federal workers will increase this fall, GSA says
The standard lodging rate will jump by nearly $10 beginning in October, as the government continues to confront recent inflation.
Oversight
New bill aims to address private sector cyber risks to FEMA operations
A proposed amendment to the Homeland Security Act would task FEMA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to work with private entities to ensure digital risks to agency operations are mitigated.
Tech
The White House is developing a 10-year modernization plan to replace legacy IT
The National Cybersecurity Strategy tasks the Office of Management and Budget with creating a plan to eliminate all vulnerable legacy systems from federal agencies within a decade.
Pay & Benefits