Author Archive
Carten Cordell
Managing Editor, Government Executive
Carten Cordell is the managing editor at Government Executive. Cordell has covered federal government, technology and acquisition for Federal Times, FedScoop, Washington Business Journal and Nextgov/FCW. An Alabama native, Cordell holds bachelor’s degrees in history and journalism from Auburn University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Writer's Digest and many other publications. He came to GovExec after a stint at Sage Communications, a marketing services agency that focuses on the government contracting market.
Carten Cordell is the managing editor at Government Executive. Cordell has covered federal government, technology and acquisition for Federal Times, FedScoop, Washington Business Journal and Nextgov/FCW. An Alabama native, Cordell holds bachelor’s degrees in history and journalism from Auburn University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. His work has also appeared in USA Today, Writer's Digest and many other publications. He came to GovExec after a stint at Sage Communications, a marketing services agency that focuses on the government contracting market.
Pay & Benefits
OPM’s unfulfilled recommendations include health insurance benefits changes, IG says
The agency is making progress on implementing IG recommendations, but three of its top yet-to-be-completed recommendations included changes that would prevent improper and inaccurate payments within the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
- Carten Cordell
Management
House committee chair applauds suspension of three top VA cops amid harassment allegations
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., said in a statement that whistleblowers at the Atlanta VA Medical Center informed the committee of claims of sexual harassment, retaliation and misconduct within the center’s police department.
- Carten Cordell
Pay & Benefits
New bill would task VA with more actively promoting veteran transition assistance
The Informing VETS Act would require the department to regularly promote programs designed to assist veterans leaving military service and offer more comparison of information on educational benefits.
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
Nuclear agency needs more insights into its workforce recruitment efforts, GAO says
A new report from the watchdog said that the National Nuclear Security Administration has made progress on addressing its staffing efforts, but continues to budget for a smaller workforce than it needs.
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
New regulation would allow some former feds to skirt conflict-of-interest contact requirement
A rule proposed in the Federal Register would allow for former senior employees of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response to have contact with HHS officials within the conflict-of-interest restriction period of one year.
- Carten Cordell
Management
FDIC chairman resigns following toxic workplace allegations
Martin Gruenberg said in a brief statement that he will remain at the agency until a successor is confirmed by the Senate, following calls from lawmakers for him to resign due to systemic harassment claims at the regulator.
- Carten Cordell
Pay & Benefits
OPM tweaks its final rule for the postal health benefits plan
The federal HR agency posted its final rule for establishing the Postal Service Health Benefits program on Monday, clarifying language on Medicare Part B enrollment and other details.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
New bill would establish an IG for the Supreme Court
The Judicial Ethics Enforcement Act calls for a new inspector general’s office to investigate alleged misconduct and prevent waste, fraud and abuse across the judicial branch.
- Carten Cordell
Management
GSA lacks management controls for keeping foreign gifts, IG says
An inspector general’s audit of the agency’s Foreign Gifts and Decorations Program found that GSA officials were missing gifts from its inventory while also possessing prohibited items due to insufficient management practices.
- Carten Cordell
Pay & Benefits
Justice Department outlines benefits rule for Havana syndrome victims
A new interim final rule details how the department would compensate employees and dependents with qualifying brain injuries from anomalous health incidents.
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
New bill would create federal grant program for digital upskilling
The proposed Digital Skills for Today’s Workforce Act would add digital skills training to grant programs that provide education and professional development services in an effort to boost the talent pipeline.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
When -- and how often -- are SBA staffers going into the office? A senator wants the agency's IG to find out
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, continued her criticism of federal agencies’ use of telework, calling for the Small Business Administration’s inspector general to investigate its office utilization rates after its administrator disputed the GAO’s findings.
- Carten Cordell
Pay & Benefits
VA is trimming its PACT Act claims backlog, but enrollees may be on the ‘low side’
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough says that the department is quickly processing new claims made by veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service, thanks, in part, to robust hiring, but warns that those claims may not have hit their peak yet.
- Carten Cordell
Pay & Benefits
Bill wants to solve the coverage gap for National Guard and reservists by extending VA eligibility
Legislation from Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., proposes to expand VA health care benefits to personnel in the reserve components when not on active duty to help ensure “force readiness.”
- Carten Cordell
Management
OPM rule removes Social Security numbers from mailed documents
The federal HR agency finalized a rule Friday that would help prevent potential identity theft by restricting the inclusion of Social Security numbers in mailed documents and establishing criteria for protecting the information.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
VA claims appeal board errors are the target of a new House bill
The Veterans Claims Quality Improvement Act seeks to mitigate errors made by the Board of Veterans’ Appeals with new training, performance evaluations and required reports to Congress.
- Carten Cordell
Oversight
Contentious FBI headquarters plan looms over House hearing on real estate footprint
The House Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management sought to examine the FBI’s strategy for managing its overall office space requirements, but the ongoing controversy over its potential new headquarters again took center stage.
- Carten Cordell
Workforce
Coast Guard hasn’t assessed how many future aviation personnel it needs, report says
The service is in the midst of modernizing and consolidating its aircraft fleet, but it’s also facing workforce challenges that could alter how many vehicles the Coast Guard ultimately needs.
- Carten Cordell
Management
New bill would convert unused government buildings into affordable housing
Reps. Adam Schiff and Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., cosponsored legislation that would direct the Housing and Urban Development Secretary to help refashion certain federal, state and local government properties into affordable residential rental projects.
- Carten Cordell
Management
OMB overhauls federal grant guidance to simplify it for recipients
The Biden administration offered new updates to the Uniform Guidance that governs federal grant programs, aiming to slice red tape and simplify the language recipients use to apply for funding.
- Carten Cordell