Oversight
‘Wrongdoing’ likely in USDA maintenance of the nation’s largest agricultural research facility, OSC says
Union leaders said a recent winter flood of a building at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center is just a symptom of systematic mismanagement of the facility.
Oversight
Want to track pandemic relief spending? Data problems make that difficult, committee says
“These challenges limit the degree of transparency into the use of pandemic relief funds,” a new report from the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee says.
Workforce
Proposed marijuana waivers acknowledge blunt recruiting truths
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to remove a barrier to joining the U.S. military.
Pay & Benefits
House GOP plan to curb fed pay and benefits would come at a cost, experts say
Morale, recruitment and retention are likely to take a hit, and there are better ways to save money.
Management
Trust in the federal government is in a tailspin. Here’s how agencies can rebuild it.
COMMENTARY | Agencies must prove they are competent and support values such as transparency.
Workforce
House supports a 5.2% pay raise in its draft Defense policy bill, but slashes diversity initiatives
Committee leaders hope to end the National Defense Authorization Act's reputation as a Christmas tree for non-national security amendments.
Workforce
‘They don’t care about my life’: Lawmakers, employees raise concerns about heat after USPS mail carrier's death
Record temperatures are renewing longstanding fears that USPS is pushing employees to the brink without adequate concern for their safety.
Oversight
Alaska and 9 other states threaten to sue EPA over wood-burning stove standards
The agency's 2015 standards are inadequately administered and allow substandard devices to be certified, thus creating more pollution and deceiving consumers, court filing argues.
Defense
Senator blocks Marine confirmation, leaving Corps with an acting commandant
Gen. David Berger relinquished his position hours before the motion, handing authorities over to Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith.
Management
The White House promotes success stories in the government’s customer experience push
Filling out forms to recertify for disability insurance is “more frightening than cancer,” one beneficiary said. The Social Security Administration is trying to make it easier.
Management
The federal government has more than 8,000 vacant properties. Why aren’t they being used to house the homeless?
A 2016 law says unused federal properties should be turned over to help the homeless. But a complex process and bureaucratic requirements are making that nearly impossible.
Oversight
Here’s how to fix the Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office
The changes must go to the heart of the operation.
Defense
A senator's holds on military nominations are hurting readiness against China, Defense official says
From Defense policy bill amendments and "poison pill" spending bills to promotion holds, Republicans' efforts are frustrating Pentagon officials.
Management
With a new shipping service, USPS says it could handle extra demand sparked by UPS strike
The Postal Service is rolling out new shipping offerings that it predicts will help it absorb new business that results from a potential work stoppage at one of its competitors.
Pay & Benefits
OPM’s retirement backlog just hit its lowest level since 2017
The federal government’s HR agency’s efforts to modernize the retirement process have been buoyed by increased investment and renewed focus on customer service.
Management
NDAA amendment calls for DOD, DHS to assess cyber threats to border security
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, said his proposal “sets a plan to prevent cyber incidents by reducing the risk of future cyber vulnerabilities” in key border technologies.
Oversight
Deer Park chemical fire in 2019 could have been prevented, federal investigation finds
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board found that the ITC tank farm lacked crucial equipment to warn workers about the failure that led to the three-day fire.
Workforce
Court opens up more discretion for reducing feds’ punishments
Federal employees facing firings will have an easier time mitigating that discipline to a lower form of punishment under new precedent.
Management
Federal agencies are on Threads, here’s what the records agency says about that
“Agencies should assess their business needs and evaluate risks associated with leaving these records in social media,” said NARA’s chief records officer.
Management