Updated
Workforce
Trump’s promised shutdown layoffs lead to at least 4,200 cuts at seven agencies
More RIFs possible as the Trump administration is following through on its threat to leverage the shutdown to implement federal workforce reductions.
Pay & Benefits
Trump administration’s claims against automatic furloughed worker backpay lack legal, historical basis
Experts say the White House’s new theory that the 2019 Government Employee Fair Treatment Act does not guarantee feds backpay following a shutdown fails a basic tenet of legal analysis.
Updated
Pay & Benefits
OMB deletes reference to law guaranteeing backpay to furloughed feds from shutdown guidance
An Office of Management and Budget FAQ document now states that only excepted employees forced to work without pay are guaranteed backpay at the conclusion of a lapse in appropriations.
Management
Senate confirms Rhodes to lead White House procurement office
Kevin Rhodes has been a senior adviser to the Office of Management and Budget since February and focused his efforts on the Federal Acquisition Regulation overhaul.
Oversight
Hegseth, Vought actions heighten fears about continued inspector general independence
Lawmakers from both parties and good government groups have argued that recent moves by the Trump administration will chill whistleblowing and watchdog offices.
Oversight
Trump administration knocks out at least 15 oversight websites, saying IGs 'lied to the public'
It's not a shutdown issue: the White House is withholding funds from the umbrella organization for the government's inspectors general.
Tech
Nonprofit sues 4 agencies for details on AI use in enacting Trump policy
Democracy Forward is suing four federal agencies in a bid to access official documentation regarding if and how AI has been used in the Trump administration’s policy execution.
Management
The ultra risks of a routine shutdown
COMMENTARY | If Democrats risk a government shutdown this week, they may unwittingly play into the most dramatic shift of power to the executive branch in recent history.
Management
Agencies should prep for mass layoffs if shutdown occurs, White House says
OMB is requesting updated reduction-in-force plans even if a shutdown is averted.
Workforce
As shutdown looms, federal agencies have no public plans for one
How the Trump administration would handle a shutdown and who it plans to furlough remains a mystery.
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Management
Some funding frozen by Trump could soon expire due to new fiscal year, Democrats warn
Congress will need to reach a bipartisan consensus by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
Tech
Advocacy groups ask OMB to axe Grok AI procurement
Citing vulnerabilities and biased outputs in the program, multiple advocacy organizations and nonprofits signed a letter to the Office of Management and Budget asking it to bar Elon Musk’s Grok from federal workflows.
Management
Trump moves to unilaterally withhold funds, drawing bipartisan calls of illegality
The standoff increases the likelihood of a shutdown, Democrats say.
Management
Judge orders White House budget office to reveal information about spending decisions
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit mandated that the Office of Management and Budget restore a website detailing federal spending timelines.
Oversight
Agency layoffs do not constitute illegal impoundments, GAO rules
RIFs are not themselves violations of federal spending law, watchdog says, though the administration is violating the law in other ways.
Management
Russ Vought bills CFPB $5M for his security detail
The expense comes as the consumer-protection agency's budget is slashed nearly in half.
Management
OMB wants to break down barriers for CIOs, White House official says
Republicans also included a line in their funding bill to reiterate that CIOs should be involved in agencies' tech budgets.
Management
OMB memo lays out GSA's plan to consolidate contracts
New rules that are coming will require agencies to use existing government-wide vehicles and best-in-class contracts before creating new ones.
Management
Judge orders Trump administration to ‘stop violating the law!’ and publish spending details
More than two years ago, Congress began requiring the Office of Management and Budget to publicly post apportionment information. Trump officials pulled down the website in March.
Workforce