Oversight
FEMA chief calls passing over of Trump supporters isolated incident, requests wider probe
One FEMA supervisor has been fired for directing staff to skip Trump-supporting homes, but administrator says there is so far no evidence of a more widespread issue.
Oversight
Oversight of contract security guards at federal buildings is lacking, OIG says
In one notable example from a recent report, a guard at a federal facility told a visitor to place their firearm in a bush to access the building.
Management
One federal agency hasn’t ensured its employee gyms are safe and secure, OIG says
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s inspector general sent out a management alert warning that the agency’s fitness facilities were in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as multiple OPM and GSA regulations.
Updated
Pay & Benefits
OPM doesn’t have documented customer experience plans for the Postal Service’s open season, OIG says
The HR agency has developed contingencies if there is a surge of customer experience requests during the Postal Service Health Benefits System’s first open season, but a new report claims that those plans aren’t either defined or comprehensive enough for the multi-agency operation.
Oversight
OPM’s retirement backlog has fallen off the agency’s list of top management challenges
The Office of Personnel Management’s inspector general last month reported that the federal government’s dedicated HR agency faces taller tasks in the form of launching a health insurance program for postal workers and verifying enrollees’ eligibility for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Oversight
DHS IG committed ‘substantial misconduct,’ governmental watchdog finds
Whether Joseph Cuffari is removed or not is up to President Biden.
Oversight
Amid hiring surge, two VA agencies face employee background check deficiencies
The inspector general warned that shortcomings in the agencies’ background check programs were letting in unvetted staff.
Management
SBA’s inspector general will serve double duty in acting Social Security role
The appointment of Small Business Administration Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware to perform the same job at the Social Security Administration comes after embattled Inspector General Gail Ennis retired last summer.
Oversight
36% of new IRS hires faced delays due to technical and security clearance jams
Despite hiring 64% of its new employees in fiscal 2022 and 2023 within its 80-day goal, it took the IRS an average of 124 days to employ roughly 19,000 personnel due, in part, to system limitations.
Pay & Benefits
Lack of guidelines scuttled VA’s goal to expand access for substance use disorder treatment
The department’s inspector general found that despite budgeting to hire more than 1,000 substance use disorder treatment staff at its medical centers, it only netted 310 new employees in the first year.
Oversight
The Postal Service achieved most of its peak season goals in 2023, so why did performance slide?
The USPS inspector general found that despite accurately forecasting air demand and adequately staffing for its busiest period, the agency still saw some on-time delivery and inventory delays.
Oversight
IRS is behind on Biden policy to not increase audits for households under $400K
TIGTA reports that the IRS has not developed a methodology to comply with a 2022 directive that bars IRA funding from being used to increase audits on households earning $400,000 or less annually.
Management
GSA has a backlog of 36,000 open fire, safety and health risk conditions in federal buildings
After a complaint to GSA’s inspector general that the agency was violating employee health and safety regulations, auditors found a database of unresolved risk issues at federal buildings across the nation that dated back a decade.
Oversight
GOP lawmakers raise concerns over DHS report redactions, OIG cooperation
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., pressed the Homeland Security secretary in a letter to explain why the department has redacted information in some of its reports to Congress and has allegedly restricted its inspector general’s access.
Oversight
National Park Service’s IRA hiring surge could fail ahead of funding deadline
While the legislation gave hundreds of millions to NPS for hiring, it didn’t grant new hiring flexibilities, which the Interior Department inspector general reports is hampering progress.
Management
Lack of timeframes and follow-ups led Social Security to delay some priority disability applications
An inspector general’s audit found that while the agency identified and processed 96% of the priority cases reviewed, a slice of applications slipped past monitoring, leading to longer wait times.
Oversight
Nonprofit urges the White House to fill vacant watchdog roles
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington penned a letter to President Biden Wednesday calling for the appointment of 14 inspectors general to fill roles at agencies such as the General Services Administration and Social Security Administration.
Oversight
IRS program to assist poor taxpayers rarely picks up the phone
TIGTA investigators were unable to leave a message at 16 local Taxpayer Advocate Service offices because their voicemail boxes were full.
Oversight
FDIC leaders let anti-harassment initiatives falter
A recent inspector general report is the latest investigation into shortcomings with the banking regulator’s sexual harassment prevention programs and policies.
Management