Management
Why Congress Can’t Curb Trump’s Power to Commute Stone’s Sentence and Pardon Others
A former lawyer for the US House of Representatives explains the constitutional and historical limits barring Congress from checking the president's clemency powers.
Management
Senate Democrat Asks Agencies for Their Reopening Plans
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., wants to ensure employees are protected from the novel coronavirus upon return.
Defense
To Block Trump's Troop Withdrawals, Congress Turns An Old Tactic Upside Down
Congress historically has tried to force presidents to bring troops home. But in the last three years, lawmakers have repeatedly tried to make laws to do the opposite.
Pay & Benefits
House Lawmakers Call for Pay Parity Between Military and Civilian Federal Workers
Although the House version of a defense policy bill includes a 3% pay increase for members of the military in 2021, an appropriations bill under consideration effectively endorses only a 1% raise for civilians.
Oversight
Lawmakers Seek to Ensure Agencies Comply with Watchdog Review of WHO Funding Halt
They cited the Trump administration’s “history of obstruction.”
Pay & Benefits
Employee Groups Object to Congressional Inaction on Pay Raise
A weekly roundup of pay and benefits news.
Management
Senate Republicans Introduce Legislation to Rid ‘Burdensome’ Regulations
The bill aligns with the Trump administration’s deregulatory agenda.
Management
Homeland Security Democrats Implore TSA to Institute Mask Requirement
“The only controversy surrounding masks is a dangerous political one manufactured by President Trump,” they wrote.
Management
House Defense Policy Bill Fixes Parental Leave Loopholes, Preserves Pentagon Collective Bargaining
The House version of the 2021 Defense authorization measure ensures all federal workers have access to the new benefit providing 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and it also standardizes locality pay between the General Schedule and Federal Wage System pay scales.
Oversight
New Legislation Would Increase Oversight Of Agency Relocations
Measure would require federal officials to conduct detailed cost-benefit analyses and provide them to inspectors general and the public for review before undertaking any effort to move federal agencies.
Pay & Benefits
Senate Defense Policy Bill Would Allow Pay Increases for a Few Federal Tech and Acquisition Jobs
The bill would also improve a recently enacted fix to tax regulations related to government-provided relocation expenses.
Oversight
Senator Asks Inspector General to Investigate Global Media Agency Firings
The new U.S. Agency for Global Media CEO has sparked fears over politicization of employees’ journalism.
Oversight
Democrats Don’t Know How to Handle Bill Barr
Dems have a long list of grievances against Attorney General Barr, but the president’s ally at the Justice Department is proving an elusive target.
Defense
Critics, Allies Wonder What Trump’s Trying to Achieve with Troop Cuts
One GOP lawmaker worries “it’s going to hurt U.S. strategic interests more than it’s going to punish Germany.”
Oversight
White House Concealed Finding That OPM Merger was Illegal, Report Says
Lawmakers are livid; administration officials deny they withheld information.
Oversight
Democratic Senators Call for USAID to Investigate Anti-LGBT, Anti-Muslim Comments by Appointees
The Democrats’ request comes as the agency grapples with internal frustration over its approach to racism and bias.
Management
New Law Directs FBI to Create National Law Enforcement Suicide Database
President Trump enacted the measure amid efforts to curb law enforcement brutality.
Oversight
Democrats Propose Requiring Federal Law Enforcement Officers to Identify Themselves During Protests
“Transparency is a building block of public trust and federal law enforcement officials who hid their identities were not serving the public's interest,” said one lawmaker.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: An Accountability and Oversight Update
Nextgov’s Frank Konkel and GovExec’s Courtney Bublé cover the latest news on inspectors general and the Trump administration.
Oversight