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
The Week in Comments: WikiLeaks, mental health, and more on the pay freeze
The best in reader reaction to recent articles.
Pay & Benefits
Crunch Time
Only a few legislative days remain for Congress to extend transit benefits available to government workers.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: USDA moves to the cloud
Agency plans to move 120,000 users to cloud-based messaging system.
Defense