Letter to DOJ Leadership Sheds Light on Gender Inequality in Agency Leadership
A network of 375 Department of Justice employees and contractors wrote a letter to DOJ leaders last week expressing concern regarding the number of women in high profile leadership positions within the agency. The letter outlines the importance of a diverse workforce and highlights the department’s failure to hire and retain women in the workforce.
Maryland House Passed Shutdown Contingency Plan
Maryland lawmakers are attempting to take precautionary steps to protect federal workers in their state in case of another government shutdown. Legislation which passed the state House of Delegates last week would provide essential government employees working without pay access to state unemployment insurance.
Government Shutdown Q&A with Shane Canfield
WAEPA (Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies), a nonprofit Voluntary Employee Benefits Association which offers Group Term Life Insurance* exclusively to Civilian Federal Employees, made headlines in January when they announced they were waiving January’s premiums for all their members, including those for Members not impacted by the partial Government Shutdown, which went on for 35 days from December 21, 2018 to January 25, 2019, and affected approximately 22% of Federal workers.
Report on Census Test Identifies Concerns Ahead of 2020
Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General’s Office of Audit and Evaluation released a report analyzing the 2018 end-to-end test done to prepare for the 2020 census. The report concluded that the Census Bureau must address several concerns before 2020 in order to complete a successful census.
OPEN Government Data Act Means Changes for Agency Leadership
Last month the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017 passed Congress and was signed into law. Included in this legislation was the OPEN Government Data Act, which requires all non-sensitive government data to be made available to the public. The law established non-political Chief Data Officers (CDOs) to guide agencies in implementing this policy.
Understanding Border Security from the Front Lines
The U.S. borders have inundated news cycles in recent months. To find out what’s really going on, tune in to FEDtalk to hear a group of federal law enforcement professionals discuss what they experience at the border and what they need to do their mission.
Senate Turns Focus To Security Clearance Reform
The NDAA summary report released by the committees includes several provisions impacting the civilian federal workforce. Most notably, the conference agreement provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all federal civilian employees.
Trump Expands ‘Buy American’ Order to Federal Infrastructure Projects
President Trump is encouraging federal agencies to buy American-made products with an executive order signed late last week. This order builds on a previous executive order calling for federal financial assistance awards to provide preference to goods, products, and materials produced in the United States. Under the expanded measure, “domestic preference” covers not only iron and steel, but also products containing aluminum, plastics, concrete, glass, and lumber.
GAO Creates New Science and Technology Team
The Government Accountability Office has launched the new Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics (STAA) team, dedicated to using cutting edge research methods to solve Congress’s problems. The team hopes to provide insight and analysis on how federal agencies employ science and technology in dealing with issues such as regenerative medicine, 5G wireless communication, and quantum computing, according to a GAO blog release on the subject.
Bill Would Give Reservist Feds the Choice to Enroll in TRICARE
While much of the news has rightly been dominated by the partial government shutdown and the 2019 pay freeze, the 116th Congress is slowly beginning to turn the gears and get underway. New legislation is being introduced and reintroduced from earlier sessions of Congress. Among the bills that has been reintroduced is the TRICARE Reserve Select Improvement Act (H.R. 613 / S. 164), introduced by Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS) and Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), respectively. This legislation, referred to the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services, would address an issue the Federal Managers Association (FMA) has been working on for several years.
Uncertainty Addressed by FEDS President
As the President of FEDS, I didn’t know whether to celebrate the agreement to fund agencies through midFebruary or to commiserate over the uncertainty that lies ahead.
FEDtalk Covers New Commission Dedicated To Inspiring Americans To Serve Their Country
Last week, the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service released their interim report, setting the stage for the next year of action. Julie Perkins of Shaw, Bransford, & Roth P.C. hosted a discussion between Commissioner Mark Gearan and Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service to learn more about what the commission is doing and what our public service needs it to do.
House Introduces Retroactive Pay Raise Legislation For Federal Employees
The NDAA summary report released by the committees includes several provisions impacting the civilian federal workforce. Most notably, the conference agreement provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all federal civilian employees.
Absence of Evidence Cannot Favor Agency Defense Against Whistleblower Reprisal Claim
Last week, FEDmanager reported on the Federal Circuit’s decision in Siler v. EPA, on the issue of whether EPA adequately asserted the attorney-client privilege to withhold documents from Siler during the discovery phase of his MSPB appeal his removal from federal service. This week, we report on the portion of the court’s decision that vacated the MSPB’s denial of Siler’s whistleblower reprisal affirmative defense and remanded the matter to MSPB for further proceedings.
Uncertainty Still Looms as Deal is Reached to End Shutdown
Federal workers are returning to their offices after the longest government shutdown in US history. Over 800,000 workers who missed two paychecks as a result of the shutdown are expected to receive back pay this week; unfortunately, the stopgap spending measure only lasts until Feb. 15, setting up another possible shutdown next month.
Internal Revenue Service Struggles to Find Footing Post-Shutdown
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is beginning their busiest season a few steps behind as employees return to work following the government shutdown. As the IRS works to recover, Americans all over the country may feel the impact of this backlog come filing season.
The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
The National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service is wrapping up its first year. The bipartisan, 11-member commission--created by Congress--seeks to inspire more young Americans to serve their country. The group releases its Interim Report on January 23rd, which will outline its progress and plans to date.
Bills Introduced To End All Government Shutdowns
The NDAA summary report released by the committees includes several provisions impacting the civilian federal workforce. Most notably, the conference agreement provides 12 weeks of paid parental leave to all federal civilian employees.