Management

Bipartisan Bill Would Establish Multi-Agency Effort for Carbon Removal 

A committee would develop a strategic plan for research and development on carbon dioxide removal in the air, lands and oceans.

Defense

GOP Senators Stall Tata Nomination for Top Pentagon Post

After Islamophobic remarks, Trump’s controversial pick to be Defense Department’s policy chief is in troubled waters.

Management

Expanded Telework Could Save Individual Feds $2.5K-$4K Annually

Lessons from the pandemic have big implications for federal offices and employees, lawmakers and experts say.

Management

Senate GOP’s Coronavirus Relief Package Would Fund Controversial Plan to Rebuild FBI Headquarters in D.C.

The Trump administration in 2017 scrapped a decade-long plan to reconstruct the facility in the Washington suburbs. 

Oversight

Lawmakers From Both Parties Seek Greater Vaccine Oversight

Under “Operation Warp Speed,” the Trump administration hopes to develop and distribute a vaccine for COVID-19 by early 2021.

Defense

Progressives Mount Assault on Defense Spending Ahead of Stimulus Package, Election

During a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing, one Democrat questioned defense firms access to coronavirus stimulus money.

Management

Senate Democrats Urge Vote on Bill that Would Federalize the Medical Supply Chain, Bolster Transparency

"There is no way for this country to have enough personal protective equipment...without the federal government stepping up," said one senator. 

Management

Senate Confirms Acting OMB Chief to Be Permanent Director

Russell Vought has said he will "be as responsive as we possibly can" to Congress and prioritize requests from overseers related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Management

Why Congress Can’t Curb Trump’s Power to Commute Stone’s Sentence and Pardon Others

A former lawyer for the US House of Representatives explains the constitutional and historical limits barring Congress from checking the president's clemency powers.

Management

Senate Democrat Asks Agencies for Their Reopening Plans

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wants to ensure employees are protected from the novel coronavirus upon return.

Defense

To Block Trump's Troop Withdrawals, Congress Turns An Old Tactic Upside Down

Congress historically has tried to force presidents to bring troops home. But in the last three years, lawmakers have repeatedly tried to make laws to do the opposite.

Pay & Benefits

House Lawmakers Call for Pay Parity Between Military and Civilian Federal Workers

Although the House version of a defense policy bill includes a 3% pay increase for members of the military in 2021, an appropriations bill under consideration effectively endorses only a 1% raise for civilians.

Management

Homeland Security Democrats Implore TSA to Institute Mask Requirement

“The only controversy surrounding masks is a dangerous political one manufactured by President Trump,” they wrote.

Management

House Defense Policy Bill Fixes Parental Leave Loopholes, Preserves Pentagon Collective Bargaining

The House version of the 2021 Defense authorization measure ensures all federal workers have access to the new benefit providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and it also standardizes locality pay between the General Schedule and Federal Wage System pay scales.