Author Archive
Oversight
Severe staffing cuts at GSA are harming agencies across government, watchdog says
Due to the reductions, agencies reported that they were unsure about who to contact at GSA and had to delay project timelines.
Oversight
Inspectors general targeted for funding cuts in Trump’s FY27 budget
Oversight groups warn that slashing budgets spent on rooting out fraud and waste will “fundamentally hamper” accountability and operations.
Updated
Management
Vought defends fiscal 2027 budget request, as Democrats criticize OMB for violating spending law
The Trump administration proposed a 10% reduction to spending on non-defense agencies.
Management
Staff cuts, new rules and reassignments: IRS nears finish line for tax season marked by upheaval
The head of the IRS has argued that despite the workforce reductions there is “no staffing shortage here.”
Workforce
Trump’s federal workforce changes cost the economy more than $165.6B, analysis finds
The Partnership for Public Service report includes the costs of the deferred resignation program, severance pay for laid-off civil servants and federal employees who were on paid administrative leave while their firings were challenged in court.
Workforce
Fewer federal employees are ‘thriving’ and more are ‘struggling’, according to new survey
The Trump administration in 2025 nixed an annual survey of federal employee engagement and morale, but polls from other organizations provide insights.
Workforce
A hiring rule meant to help people with disabilities get federal jobs instead left them more vulnerable to DOGE mass firings
Several fired Schedule A employees who spoke with Government Executive say they’re still struggling to find new full-time employment after losing their federal jobs.
Management
IRS can’t fully verify in-person work compliance, IG says
The agency identified just 30 employees out of compliance with its return-to-office directive, even as investigators cited gaps in how compliance is verified.
Management
Underused federal offices targeted as GSA releases utilization data
The agency found that thousands of federal buildings did not meet a statutory 60% minimum average utilization rate.
Management
Trump admin uses Kid Rock and football to recruit young people to government
A good government group contended that the president’s broader civil service reforms, including previous cuts to early-career staff, would undermine efforts to recruit younger workers.
Management
As the number of political appointees surge and career SES ranks shrink, one nonprofit warns of ‘institutional consequences’
The Trump administration has sought to exert more political influence over the Senior Executive Service, which are the highest-ranking career civil servants.
Management
Federal contractor DEI initiatives singled out in latest Trump executive order
Trump’s anti-diversity directives already impacted contractors, but the new order imposes additional requirements.
Management
GSA just sold a vacant D.C. federal building and says more sales are coming
The Trump administration is undertaking an effort to shrink the size of the federal portfolio.
Updated
Oversight
Inspector general group to be led by former Trump administration adviser
A government oversight organization said that the selection of Cheryl Mason, who is the inspector general for the Veterans Affairs Department, shows the White House is “putting more of a thumb on the scale” of the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.
Management
Postal unions and stakeholders wary as Trump nominates little-known picks to USPS board
The president has so far nominated four individuals to the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors; there are five vacancies.
Workforce
New bills would extend whistleblower protections to more feds
The measures specifically deal with civil servants who investigate and report wrongdoing in their normal duties and ones who work for government corporations.
Updated
Workforce
Stalled onboarding of Foreign Service fellows draws questions from lawmakers
Multiple programs that agencies use to recruit new employees have been upended by the Trump administration’s civil service reforms.
Management
Migrants who attack federal law enforcement animals could face expedited deportation
The Bill to Outlaw Wounding of Official Working (BOWOW) Animals Act passed in the House, but drew opposition from Democrats over concerns it is redundant and poses a threat to due process.
Oversight
Inspector general’s reported plan to run for Congress is a Hatch Act violation, lawmakers and ethics orgs say
Federal employees are not permitted to run for partisan office or to prepare for such an election.
Management
Nearly $1 stamps? Lawmakers contemplate how to avert USPS financial crisis
During a hearing, officials testified that the Postal Service will likely run out of money without congressional intervention.
