Pay & Benefits
Federal whistleblower bill passes the Senate
Long-awaited legislation to better protect employees who expose potential fraud, waste or abuse overcomes 11th hour hurdle.
News
From Nextgov.com: House fully funds key Homeland Security IT projects
The 2011 budget bill also incorporates the Food Safety Modernization Act.
Pay & Benefits
Federal health program is headed for calmer waters in 2011
FEHBP participants aren’t likely to see major upheaval between now and the start of next open season, observer says.
Pay & Benefits
Threats of violence against IRS employees persist
Watchdog report details assaults and bomb scares as well as IG’s moves to centralize data to better gauge which threats are most serious.
Oversight
Senate passes bill to reform Census Bureau
Measure would make the director’s position a five-year presidentially appointed term beginning in 2012.
Defense
Marines set 90-day civilian hiring freeze
‘Pause’ aimed at meeting Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ order to trim overhead spending.
Defense
Volunteers give back to service members this holiday season
Many nonprofits offer alternative gift-giving ideas that support the troops.
Defense
Senate backers of ‘don’t ask’ repeal to pursue new tactic
Lieberman and Collins will introduce stand-alone legislation that would overturn the gay ban.
Defense
Senate Republicans block 9/11 health bill
Vote effectively kills the measure, though Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to “pursue every possible route” to passage before the Senate leaves next week.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: White House details sweeping changes to federal computing
The 40-page strategy directs agency IT leaders to follow a ‘cloud first’ policy and evaluate the practicality of leasing access to Web-based equipment before buying new hardware or software.
Pay & Benefits
Obama signs telework expansion act
Agencies will have about six months to establish formal policies on working outside the office and to notify eligible employees.
Oversight
Agencies’ recruitment efforts show promise
Strategies for hiring veterans, disabled workers and other candidates are improving, report finds.
Defense
Senate Dems lose vote on 'don't ask' repeal
Democrats fail to overcome a Republican filibuster of the 2011 defense authorization bill that included a provision repealing the 1993 law.
Pay & Benefits
Congress passes bill allowing military families and retirees to keep their doctors
The bill would prevent a 25 percent cut to payments for physicians participating in the Medicare and TRICARE programs.
News