Oversight
Bill to force firing of seriously tax delinquent feds and contractors advances
House committee also votes to double the probation period for civilian hires from one to two years.
Oversight
Senate committee votes to streamline confirmation process
Roughly 200 presidential appointees would no longer require Senate confirmation under a bill that passed committee on Wednesday.
Oversight
Former White House, congressional leaders call for faster appointment process
They back a bill working its way through the Senate that would exempt 200 positions from formal confirmation.
Oversight
Federal performance officers stretched too thin, study says
PIOs don’t have adequate resources or time to identify poor-performing employees, report finds.
Oversight
Legislation would reorganize Federal Acquisition Institute
Bipartisan bill has FAI reporting directly to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
Pay & Benefits
Bill would tie lawmakers’ access to retirement benefits to Social Security age
Lawmakers would have to wait until they turn the Social Security retirement age -- typically between 65 and 67 -- to tap their pensions.
Oversight
Lawmaker proposes extending probation for new federal employees
Rep. Ross would double current one-year period and define performance criteria more precisely.
Oversight
Under OMB order, agencies stayed open despite late House vote
Memo was designed to make sure agencies didn't begin shutting down at midnight.
Pay & Benefits
Lawmakers push retroactive pay for furloughed feds
Bill would guarantee reimbursement for all employees at the end of a shutdown.
Oversight
Would you have been furloughed?
Federal employees sent updates Friday on their status and that of other employees in their agencies.
Oversight
Where the cuts would have come: agency-by-agency furlough counts
Estimates show large numbers of employees would not have been permitted to work if government had shut down.
Pay & Benefits
Feds vent shutdown fears and frustration at town hall meeting in Va.
Rep. Jim Moran warns angry residents that a shutdown could stretch into May if agreement is not reached soon.
Pay & Benefits
Pocket Change
A rundown on the (limited) changes in the retirement benefits world this year.
Defense
Gates: Troops could face delay in full pay for April
Defense secretary in Iraq war zone tells service members that size of their next check depends on duration of a government shutdown.
Pay & Benefits
Agencies told to begin furlough notifications
OMB has instructed agencies to begin notifying employees who would be furloughed if the government shuts down.
Defense
Military and essential civilians would be paid after shutdown
Defense contractors would be paid out of funds already obligated, Pentagon officials say.
Pay & Benefits
Administration backs retroactive pay for feds in event of shutdown
The ultimate decision to compensate employees is up to Congress.
Oversight
Union: Employees work without pay, or risk jobs
Pressure on excepted personnel to work without guarantee of pay violates Anti-Deficiency Act, labor leader says.
Oversight
Reid expects shutdown, constituents say; White House announces new meeting
Reid, Boehner to meet with Obama at 1 p.m. for second meeting in 18 hours.
Pay & Benefits