Updated
Workforce
VA employees ordered to pay back bonuses over misconduct now have an appeal process
The rulemaking is the result of a 2017 law intended to make it easier to remove poor-performing VA employees, but the Biden administration previously decided not to use it after legal decisions blunted the law’s authorities.
Management
Trump’s pick for OMB chief defends removing civil service protections, withholding appropriated funds
Russ Vought laments "weaponized bureaucracies" as he draws bipartisan criticism for declining to commit to following spending laws.
Management
What does the head of the State Department do?
The secretary of state has an expansive job that could make or break peace deals and key foreign alliances.
Management
DOGE agency deployments raise ethical and influence concerns
Trump’s government efficiency commission is reportedly sending staff around government, but its structure remains a mystery.
Pay & Benefits
Congressional Republicans dial up multiple bills to cull telework flexibility
The 119th Congress has started early on reintroducing or debuting new plans to reduce telework capabilities at federal agencies.
Workforce
Trump’s proposed cuts to the federal workforce could increase dependency on contractors, experts say
Conversely, Trump’s advisory Department of Government Efficiency plans to push for decreasing spending on federal contracts.
Defense
‘I know what I don’t know,’ defense secretary pick says at confirmation hearing
Pete Hegseth faced questions about his inexperience and fitness as a leader.
Defense
What does the head of Homeland Security do?
The job of the homeland security secretary is to adapt almost continuously to pressures from the department, the public and the world at large.
Management
OPM officials tout agency’s transformation under Biden
Leaders at the federal government’s dedicated HR agency said the organization has come a long way since being targeted for elimination by the first Trump administration.
Management
Some Trump nominees face confirmation delays with ethics and background checks behind schedule
Lawmakers are demanding Senate Republicans not move forward without full vetting, a process delayed by Trump's transition foot-dragging.
Pay & Benefits
OPM set to finalize rules standardizing General Schedule, blue collar locality pay maps
The final rule implementing the long-requested adjustment to the Federal Wage System’s map of wage areas won’t be published until after President-elect Trump’s inauguration.
Transition
Reported Trump ‘loyalty tests’ for national security officials spur criticism
If career employees are removed from the National Security Council, they would return to their home agencies, but the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has expressed concern.
Management
What does the defense secretary do?
The secretary of defense must perform a "delicate dance" between the president, Congress and the public.
Management
‘Over half’ of federal websites got better in the past year, OMB official says
Metrics released by the Office of Management and Budget offer insight into how agencies are implementing the 21st Century IDEA Act.
Management
What does the head of the Environmental Protection Agency do?
The EPA administrator protects public health, air, water and the environment.
Transition
OPM clears Trump’s beachhead teams for landing
Existing authorities allow the president-elect to make certain temporary appointments during the transition to a new administration.
Workforce
IRS chief predicts agency 'performance will backslide' if funds and staffing are cut
The agency says it is fully prepared for filing season in the near term but backlogs could return if the Trump administration pulls back resources.
Workforce
Ernst targets D.C.-area federal workers with trio of bills
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, proposed legislation this week that would force agencies to move 30% of their D.C.-based workforce out of the region, mandate telework tracking, and push agencies to move their headquarters out of the nation’s capital.
Oversight
Top Oversight Democrat says he’s open to collaborate with the DOGE
The new Department of Government Efficiency — which, despite the “department” referenced in its name, is an advisory effort, not a government department — has aims to trim the federal workforce and hunt efficiencies in tech and fraud reduction efforts.
Oversight