Congress Seeks Details from Agencies on Burrowing In
House Democrats want to know whether President Trump’s political appointees are being converted into career civil servants.
Talks on Omnibus Spending Bill Between Chambers of Congress Begin
In the House and the Senate, initial talks for an omnibus appropriations bill have begun. The goal of these initial talks is to agree on top-line spending levels that will be included. Congress has until December 11, 2020 to fund the government and both Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have stated that they do not want another continuing resolution and would rather have an appropriations package ready to go.
Senate Releases Spending Bills for Fiscal Year 2021
Senate appropriators released all 12 of their fiscal year 2021 spending bills on the morning of November 10, 2020. Lawmakers have until December 11, 2020 to secure government spending and avoid a federal shutdown. Both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have called for a new omnibus spending bill, which would fund all government agencies in a single large package, rather than another continuing resolution that only funds the government temporarily at previous levels.
Avoidance of Government Shutdown Rests on Lame Duck Spending Deal
As lawmakers approach the December 11, 2020 stopgap funding deadline, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin remain stuck on several issues relating to COVID-19 and funding of the government. If Congress and the White House are unable to reach another stopgap funding deal by December 11, then a partial government shutdown could occur.
Lawmakers Respond to Executive Order on Schedule F in Excepted Service
Several lawmakers have spoken out against the president’s Executive Order on Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service, while others have expressed support. Within days of the order’s release, several lawmakers have also introduced legislation that would reverse the order. Here is a roundup of the Congressional response:
House Committee Holds Hearing on IRS Pandemic Response
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hybrid hearing on October 7, 2020 called “IRS in the Pandemic” during which they discussed IRS operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial state of the IRS, and the status of information technology (IT) within the organization.
Legislation Introduced to Make Payroll Tax Deferral Program Optional
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and over a dozen Senate Democrats introduced legislation, the Protecting Employees from Surprise Taxes Act, which would make the Trump administration’s tax deferral program optional for federal employees and service members. The legislation states that employees who wish to partake in the program must provide written consent to their employers.
Reps. Hurd, Kelly Push for New AI Resolution
Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) recently proposed creating a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy in a concurrent resolution. The resolution consists of 78 actions that would lead to an overarching AI strategy in the United States. These actions have been suggested after many stakeholder meetings discussing AI policy challenges, development, spending, workforce training, and ethical issues.
Proposal Directs $1 Million in Funding to Investigate COVID-19 Misinformation, Disinformation
Democrats in both the House and the Senate recently proposed legislation that would grant $1 million to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a probe into how online disinformation and misinformation disrupted the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Disinformation refers to details that are inherently manipulated or disseminated with an intentional aim to be deceptive. Misinformation does not necessarily involve the intent to mislead.
House Introduces Funding Bill Without Senate Support
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a new stopgap government funding bill this week without first securing support from her Republican counterparts in the Senate or the White House. This bill would extend current levels of spending for agencies past the September 30 end of the fiscal year through December 11.
Senate Holds Hearing on OPM Director Nominee
The U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) held a nominations hearing on September 9, 2020 for several individuals, including the nomination of John Gibbs to serve as Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The vote on his appointment is expected to be held on September 16, 2020.
Congress, White House Reach Informal Agreement to Prevent Government Shutdown
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin have reportedly agreed to a stopgap, government-wide funding bill for federal agencies. This informal consensus would avoid a government shutdown in October and extend funding at fiscal year 2020 levels for federal agencies until at least the November 3, 2020 election.
GAO Investigates Handling of Time and Attendance Misconduct in Federal Agencies
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report last month in which they investigated the prevalence of time and attendance misconduct and fraud within federal agencies. The report describes what is known about the extent of time and attendance misconduct and potential fraud across the 24 agencies using reporting controls and technologies under the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 (CFO Act) to monitor employee time and attendance.
AFGE Pushes for Federal Workforce Provisions in 2021 NDAA
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest union for the federal workforce, is pushing for the inclusion of several federal workforce provisions within the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Their primary focuses include securing proper pay and keeping federal jobs.
House Ends Recess Early to Address Postal Service Situation
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is bringing the House back from August recess to vote on emergency postal legislation after concerns that new policies imposed by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) could cause severe mail delays across the country. She said in a statement, "The postmaster general and top Postal Service leaders must answer to the Congress and the American people as to why they are pushing these dangerous new policies that threaten to silence the voices of millions, just months before the election."
New Whistleblower Bills Would Protect Federal Workers
National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, an annual day of recognition for whistleblowers whose actions protected the American people from fraud and abuse, took place this past July 30th. Surrounding the day, several pieces of legislation have been introduced to protect government whistleblowers, many of whom are afraid to come forward out of fear of retaliation by their agencies.
Senate Holds Hearing on Modernizing Telework for Feds, Using Private Sector Practices
In order to determine the best way to restructure federal work practices and redefine telework eligibility, a Senate Committee Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee invited a panel of private sector executives to share their thoughts.
