Employee Policy
Opinion: Require financial training at military academies, to combat waste, fraud and abuse
GAO auditors often cannot rely on financial figures submitted on DOD use of resources. Some financial experts say one solution would be to require courses in economics, including accounting and other pertinent subfields, to graduate from all service academies.
Pay
Biden admin ups pay for fed firefighters
Average annual pay for U.S. Forest Service firefighters is $38,000, versus $70,000 to $88,000 for their state, local and private counterparts. The White House has ordered an immediate modest boost, and bills pending in Congress could lock in this and additional gains for these crucial first responders.
Route Fifty
Pandemic Growth Led This State to Slash Taxes, Issue Rebates
Tax policy experts and state officials believe Idaho’s rapid economic growth will offset the tax cuts, making them feasible under federal funding rules.
Management
White House Tells Watchdog It Won’t Comply With Some Priority Suggestions to Improve Government
OMB has 153 open recommendations from GAO and a lower completion rate than the rest of government.
Pay & Benefits
White House Moves to Bolster Wildland Firefighter Pay
President Biden previously expressed outrage that some federal firefighters make less than $15 per hour.
Management
Office of Government Ethics Seeks Feedback on Upcoming Strategic Plan
New objectives are slated to focus on equity and broader outreach.
Route Fifty
This Week in Federal Funding
In the July 6 edition we look at how states have approached their American Rescue Plan Act allotments so far.
Nextgov
Pentagon Cancels JEDI Cloud Contract
The Defense Department will opt for a new multibillion-dollar, multi-vendor contract.
Defense
DoD Makes Recommendations to Close ‘Troubling Gap’ in Sexual Assault Response
Improving victim care, focusing on prevention and removing prosecution from the chain of command are some top priorities of the 300-page report.
Management
GovExec Daily: The State of Vaccine Progress
Dr. Jessica Holzer joins the podcast to discuss public health and the pandemic.
Workforce
Women in the Biden White House Earn 99 Cents for Every $1 Earned by Men
The Biden White House has the narrowest wage gap since the country started tracking it in 1995, according to salary data released Thursday.
Route Fifty
Financing Plan for Infrastructure Agreement Called into Question
Finance experts say the plan to pay for the infrastructure proposal, in part by clawing back unspent Covid relief funds, is unlikely to cover the full cost.
Management
Justice Department Issues Federal Execution Moratorium
The attorney general ordered three reviews of Trump-era policies.
Pay & Benefits
Former Temporary Workers Could Make Catch-Up Pension Contributions Under New Bill
Currently, Federal Employees Retirement System employees who began their careers as temporary workers must work longer than anticipated to receive full retirement benefits.
Nextgov
VA Secretary: Changes Coming to Electronic Health Records Program
Secretary Denis McDonough just completed a months-long strategic review of the multibillion-dollar EHR modernization program.
Management
Biden to Involve Agencies Across Government in Citizenship Process
Many federal agencies will help promote the naturalization process and reduce barriers.
Defense
Lawmaker Wants to Grill Officers on Critical Race Theory Before Approving Promotions
It’s the latest step Sen. Tom Cotton has proposed to stop “culture wars” within the military.
Management
The Work to Make Government a DEI Model
It won’t be easy to execute Biden’s executive order to make federal employment fair and free of bias.
Oversight
President’s Authority Over DOJ Jeopardizes Independence
How much influence should a president have over the Justice Department? The answer is central to the success of America’s democratic experiment.
Management