Political Appointees
Trump signals new direction for IRS as he announces atypical plan to replace its leadership
The agency is mid-transformation thanks to an unprecedented cash infusion, but those efforts are now in doubt.
New data shows why it's taking the Senate longer to confirm presidential appointees
President-elect Trump is already pressuring senators to let him bypass, under certain conditions, the Senate’s oftentimes lengthy confirmation process for appointees.
Trump opts for conventional DOJ screenings of nominees and transition team members
The president-elect delayed the process but now says it is a key step for deploying his team into federal agencies.
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O'Malley: SSA’s 2024 progress refutes government doubters
Under the commissioner’s tenure, Social Security has seen marked improvements in its customer service metrics despite continually mounting workloads and dwindling funding.
Who is Pam Bondi? Trump picks longtime ally for attorney general
The former AG for Florida has publicly defended the former president during his criminal cases.
Here’s what we know about the investigations into Matt Gaetz
Trump’s nominee for attorney general has been investigated by the House Ethics Committee and the Department of Justice. He has denied wrongdoing.
O'Malley to step down as SSA chief this month, seeks political role
Martin O'Malley won plaudits for reinvigorating a resource-starved SSA, but will leave his post early.
As Trump names VA pick, firing and privatization come back into the spotlight
Trump's choice is already highlighting some of the most controversial VA priorities from the president-elect's first term.
Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump
Senate Democrats use dwindling floor time to confirm a new head for the government's ethics office, with whom Trump administration often butted heads in his first term.
Updated
Who has Trump picked to serve in his Cabinet?
These individuals will hold huge sway in enacting the president-elect’s policies toward federal employees.
Why Trump potentially sidestepping normal political appointee screening is raising concerns
The former president likely has the authority to take steps outlined by his team, but experts say they raise national security red flags.
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Federal employee appeals board has nearly eliminated the backlog built up during its five years without power
Agency workers who appealed adverse actions against them finally have resolution after waiting for years for a decision.
A new Senate bill would make it easier to track appointees’ confirmation status
The Improving Senate Confirmation and Vacancy Oversight Act would create a publicly accessible dashboard to track the status of a president’s nominees to the 1,300 Senate-confirmed appointments across government.
Both Harris and Trump are historically behind on presidential transition planning
GSA is beginning to provide office space and information technology support to the candidates, who have both just recently named the heads of their transition teams.
The FLRA is nearly back at full strength following Senate confirmation vote
The Senate voted 55-37 to confirm Anne Wagner as the third member atop the Federal Labor Relations Authority, allowing the agency to consider controversial cases again for the first time in more than a year.
State Department’s top ranks need more career staff, senators say
Lawmakers look to promote a more merit-based system for top diplomats.
OPM reminds agencies of burrowing rules ahead of election season
All proposed appointments to career competitive service or Senior Executive Service positions must be reviewed by the federal government’s dedicated HR agency.
Lawmakers look to ban foreign payments to senior feds
Top federal executives would not be able to "betray the public's trust" under Democratic bill.
Watchdog agency to crack down on Hatch Act violators, including at the White House
An "escape hatch" for those improperly engaging in political activity will now close, Office of Special Counsel says.
Shriver assumes acting OPM director role
The federal government’s dedicated HR agency will be led by its long time deputy director, following Director Kiran Ahuja’s resignation.
