Oversight
Whistleblower Advocates Praise Pick to Lead New House Ombudsman Office
The office will train congressional staffers on handling disclosures of potential waste, fraud and abuse.
Oversight
Committee Votes for Subpoena Authority Over Interior's Employee Relocations, Other Documents
"We’re not here as potted plants to be watered when the administration decides it’s time," panel chairman says.
Oversight
Analysis: The Oversight Wars Are Not Going Away
Impeachment may be over, but other skirmishes between Trump and the House will come to a head over the next few months.
Management
More Than 100 Lawmakers Urge HHS to Resume Bargaining with Union
The department has not responded in nearly five months to calls to continue talks with its labor union, despite an arbitrator's finding that it had engaged in bad faith bargaining.
Management
Trump Presented an Optimistic View of Government in Third State of the Union
The president pointedly mentioned the administration’s support for the most important change in federal employee benefits in decades: paid family leave.
Management
House Panel Advances Bill Granting Full Rights to TSA Workers
Currently, employees at the Transportation Security Administration do not get annual raises along with workers on the General Schedule, and have significantly curtailed rights to collective bargaining and appealing adverse personnel actions.
Workforce
Senator Calls on Interior to Reintstate References to LGBTQ Employees in Workplace Discrimination Guidance
Department says its policies have not changed and cites support for LGBTQ workers.
Oversight
GSA Back in the Hot Seat Over Trump Hotel Oversight, Potential Sale
"The only thing I know is what I've read in the paper," agency chief says in reference to foreign expenditures at the hotel.
Management
Analysis: After the Trial’s Over, President Trump’s Impeachment Battles Could Determine Who Holds Real Power in the U.S. Government
President Trump's likely to be acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial. But the impeachment's effects won't end until lawsuits are resolved.
Defense
A Call to Inaction on Defense Acquisition Law
The best thing Congress could do for a while is stop passing new legislation.
Pay & Benefits
On the Anniversary of Government Reopening, Contractors Renew Push for Back Pay
Although Congress enacted back pay for furloughed federal employees at the end of last year’s 35-day partial government shutdown, Senate Republicans have repeatedly thwarted efforts to similarly compensate low-wage federal contractors.
Management
The Senate Confirmation Process is Twice As Long Today As It Was During the Reagan Era
Partnership for Public Service study highlights the importance of a president’s first and fifth years in getting vacancies filled.
Management
Bipartisan Bill Would Ban Reverse Auctions for Federal Construction Contracts
House lawmakers introduced legislation on Thursday similar to a Senate measure passed in December.
Oversight
Lawmakers Demand Answers on Alleged EPA Ethics Violations
House overseers say they found multiple instances in which officials flouted required ethics pledges and other disclosures.
Oversight
Top Democrat Asks Secret Service How Much It Has Spent Protecting the Trump Family on Trips
Request comes in preparation for the fiscal 2021 budget process.
Oversight
Meet the House Republicans Who Want to Rein In Trump On War
After the Soleimani strike, a working group of moderate Republicans and Democrats trying to “clarify” Congress’s war responsibilities hope they can build momentum.
Management
Would Converting Some DHS Political Positions to Career Ones Help Employee Morale?
Good government group recommends this as one way to address long-term challenges with dissatisfaction among employees.
Oversight
Analysis: Can the Constitution Stop the Government from Lying to the Public?
When a person or agency backed by the power and resources of the government tells a lie, it sometimes causes harm that only the government can inflict.
Oversight
Good Government Groups Push for Nonpartisan Panel to Find FEC Commissioners
They wrote to the White House and Senate leadership on Monday urging the speedy restoration of a quorum and then a panel to help fill the remaining seats.
Defense