Pay & Benefits
Bipartisan Spending Deal Includes Average 3.1% Pay Raise for Federal Workers in 2020
Congressional negotiators agreed to use language advocated by Democrats to provide an across-the-board 2.6% pay increase to federal civilian employees, along with an average 0.5% boost in locality pay.
Oversight
Why Congress Would Keep Working During a Government Shutdown
Even if other parts of the federal government shut down, Congress could – and would have to – keep working. A legal scholar explains why and how that is possible.
Oversight
How to Conduct a Trial in the Senate
The Constitution does not provide procedural guidelines for how an impeachment trial is to be conducted—so the senators of 1868 had to figure it out as they went.
Management
Experts Praise New Acquisition Workforce Training Requirements
The “significant” provisions will align the public and private sectors, said one.
Pay & Benefits
New Bill Would ‘Close the Gap’ in Locality Pay for Some Federal Jobs
Legislation in both chambers of Congress would ensure General Schedule and Federal Wage System employees receive comparable locality pay.
Oversight
House Passes Bill that Mandates TSA to Study Emerging Transportation Security Threats
The legislation calls for a task force to look into emerging cyber, chemical, drone and other threats.
Workforce
Survey: Feds Are Concerned About Bills and Holiday Plans With Looming Shutdown
Respondents reported fears of paying bills and holiday plan disruptions.
Oversight
Federal Aviation Administration Will Reconsider Agency’s Oversight of Boeing
“I witnessed a factory in chaos,” a former Boeing facility manager told lawmakers.
Pay & Benefits
All the Federal Workforce Provisions Tucked into the Defense Policy Bill
In addition to providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave, the authorization act offers additional shutdown protections for feds and codifies the federal “ban the box” policy in hiring.
Defense
Defense Policy Bill Establishes a Defense Civilian Training Corps
The corps will address “critical skills gaps” in the department’s workforce.
Management
Congress Moves to Block OPM-GSA Merger
A provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act would first require an independent study of the challenges facing the Office of Personnel Management.
Oversight
Analysis: Impeachment Gets Weird
Democratic Chairman Jerry Nadler virtually lost control of Monday's House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Management
Democratic Senators Urge Social Security to Restore Telework
Lawmakers ask the agency to reconsider its decision to end a 6-year-old pilot program, citing concerns about the burden it places on employees and productivity.
Workforce
Maryland Senator Says President is the 'Wild Card' in Spending Negotiations
While Democrats and Republicans negotiate on appropriations, it’s unclear how the president will react.
Pay & Benefits
White House, Democrats Reach Deal to Provide Paid Family Leave to Feds
A tentative agreement on the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act would provide all federal employees with 12 weeks of paid family leave each year.
Oversight
Viewpoint: The Obscure—but Critical—Rules the Trump Administration Has Sought to Corrupt
I was part of a team that carefully developed a rule-making process in compliance with both the Constitution and Congress’s laws. Can the same be said now?
Oversight
Senator Questions Spending on Sea Lion Grants, Shutdowns and More
Annual report identifies “wasteful” federal spending as well as solutions.
Oversight
Maloney Takes On Oversight Committee Chairmanship at a Critical Time
“It’s an incredibly difficult time to forecast the role of oversight on Capitol Hill,” says one expert.
Management
Lawmakers Demand Explanation for Social Security Telework Cuts
Friday marked the final day of a six-year-old telework pilot program for roughly 12,000 employees of the Social Security Administration’s operations agencies, after Commissioner Andrew Saul summarily ended it.
Management