Congress
Marjorie Taylor Greene to head new government efficiency subcommittee
The panel will work closely with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s advisory Department of Government Efficiency.
New bill would require FBI recommendation on security clearances for White House appointees
The Security Clearance Review Act — cosponsored by Reps. Don Beyer, D-Va., and Ted Lieu, D-Calif., would require the president to provide Congress with written justification for overruling an FBI clearance denial of executive office appointees.
Senator wants info on inspectors general office sexual harassment settlements
Grassley wrote that whistleblowers informed his office that the financial agreements required complainants to sign non-disclosure agreements.
Agencies expect small fiscal 2025 funding increases — at best
The Professional Services Council’s federal budget forecast predicts that fiscal 2025 appropriations will edge up slightly at best or face potential stinging GOP-led cuts.
New Senate majority leader ‘excited’ to ‘dismantle federal bureaucracy’
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., also said that he is open to allowing recess appointments, which could let Trump bypass the Senate for certain nominees.
Updated
Who has Trump nominated to serve in his Cabinet?
These nominees will hold huge sway in enacting the president-elect’s policies toward federal employees.
House passes a bill eliminating tax provisions that harm some federal retirees
Despite solid bipartisan support, the Senate could run out of time to approve the legislation.
The House finally appears set to repeal the WEP and GPO
Lawmakers in September successfully triggered a discharge petition to force a vote on legislation to get rid of the controversial tax provisions affecting some feds’ retirement benefits.
Bill calls for interagency task force to help prevent political violence
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., calls for standing up a two-year advisory body from across the federal government tasked with helping respond to or prevent political and hate-motivated violence.
If Republicans sweep on Election Day, they could easily repeal these Biden policies
The Congressional Review Act enables Congress to revoke recently-issued regulations, but which Biden administration rules they will be able to unwind depends on a still undetermined date.
Updated
10 congressional races for federal employees to watch
Many of the competitive House and Senate races involve lawmakers who oversee federal agency funding.
New bill would levy penalties on feds ‘impeding’ presidential directives and require new training
The Stop Resistance Activities by Federal Employees Act could penalize federal employees if they are found to have obstructed a lawful order from administration officials and require agencies to report those alleged violations to the president every six months.
Without budget anomaly, SSA hiring is restricted and overtime is at 'historic lows'
Congress’ refusal to provide additional funding for the Social Security Administration in September’s two-month continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown is kneecapping two tools that are key to combatting the agency’s customer service crisis.
A Senate bill targeting teleworkers’ locality pay now has its companion in the House
Legislation introduced by Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., would bar federal workers from receiving locality pay if they telework at least once per week, a move that could amount to a 30% pay cut for many feds.
Legislation calls for creation of an independent office to improve the VA
Rep. Rudy Yakym’s, R-Ind., National Veterans’ Advocate Act, would transform the department’s Office of Patient Advocacy into a standalone body similar to the IRS’ Office of the National Taxpayer Advocate.
Bill aims to support federal prison officers with new mental health grant programs
The legislation calls for new funding to provide mental health screenings to federal corrections officers and contractors, enabling possible referrals to health care providers.
Hill Dems question IRS on identity verification requirements for Direct File
Taxpayers had to go through outsourced identity verification to use Direct File during the last tax season, a level of assurance the lawmakers note is not required for commercial tax prep companies.
Congress left D.C. with little done, they’ll be back Nov. 12 to give it another try
The legislative branch remains on recess until after the election, but a robust slate of congressional action remains, from must-past bills and appropriations to Hurricane Helene response.
Lawmakers consider making military leave more equitable for feds with non-traditional work schedules
Currently, the annual cap on paid leave available to federal employees associated with their service in the National Guard is 15 days, which advocates say works well for traditional weekday work schedules but not for employees who frequently work weekends.
Senators debate how to minimize the security risks of federal contractors working with China
Some agencies have blown past deadlines to implement certain requirements that address conflicts of interest in contracting while lawmakers weighed additional guardrails.
