GovExec@GovExec

GovExec covers the most pressing biz topics in fed government online and through live events. Send tips to newstips@govexec.com or DM

 Washington, DC
govexec.com
Joined October 2008
69,077 Photos and videos
The Trump administration is rescinding its authorization for agencies to initiate RIFs during a government shutdown as part of a settlement with federal employee unions. @jory_heckman breaks down what it means for the next funding lapse. buff.ly/SffPG8x

Shutdown mass-layoff policy rescinded as part of settlement with unions

The Trump administration sent reduction in force notices to thousands of employees during the 43-day government shutdown last fall.

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Agencies got a pass this time. But OSC says partisan messaging can still cross the Hatch Act line. Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy gets into what could put agencies on the wrong side of it. buff.ly/IWnBBI5

Watchdog won’t discipline agencies over partisan shutdown posts but warns against ‘derogatory’...

Many departments blamed congressional Democrats for last year’s funding lapse by posting banners on agency websites and modifying furloughed employees’ out-of-office messages.

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A new FLRA ruling could give NTEU another opening in its fight over Trump’s union executive orders. Erich Wagner gets into what the decision means for the case now sitting before the D.C. Circuit. buff.ly/kqAeQCe

FLRA ruling puts ball back in courts’ court on Trump’s union EOs

The National Treasury Employees Union said Wednesday that a recent Federal Labor Relations Authority decision supports its argument that it cannot seek redress through administrative channels.

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ICE has spent big on detention expansion, but some of those investments are already being unwound. Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy tracks the costly missteps GAO flagged. buff.ly/JrN5GvB

ICE’s $45 billion detention expansion is littered with costly missteps, watchdog reports

The Government Accountability Office criticized plans to sell recently purchased warehouses, the shuttered “Alligator Alcatraz” facility and spending millions to detain an average of 16 migrants in...

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Some VA officials had just hours to decide which contracts could go. @jory_heckman follows the clock, the cancellations and what the watchdog found. buff.ly/z8kv7Ay

VA’s contracting crackdown gave some staff hours to do hundreds of reviews

VA's watchdog office noted these reviews happened quickly under strict deadlines, but generally complied with requirements for terminating contracts.

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Your benefits don’t stand still and neither should your understanding of them. Federal retirement expert Tammy Flanagan walks through what changed in 2026 and what to keep an eye on as 2027 approaches. buff.ly/m8Fwu0R

Your federal benefits changed this year. Here’s what to know

A guide to the retirement, insurance, Social Security and TSP changes affecting federal employees, retirees and survivors in 2026, plus what to watch for in 2027.

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Americans' trust in government is on the decline, but their sentiment toward civil servants is rising. Sean Michael Newhouse digs into the results of the Partnership for Public Service's latest survey: buff.ly/SxZOFCr
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The IRS and Social Security Administration's recent decision to suspend employees' ability to take advanced leave and sick time will only exacerbate both agencies' staffing woes, Senate Democrats say: buff.ly/dJrrHR1

IRS and Social Security will see more employees quit without advanced leave, senators warn

Senate Democrats warn employees will “inevitably leave” both agencies following a suspension of advanced leave, adding to deep staffing cuts.

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The FAA says more efficient staffing is the key to unlocking the rest of air traffic controllers’ 3.8% raise. Lawmakers aren’t so sure. Erich Wagner takes you inside the clash over what Congress intended and what controllers are actually facing. buff.ly/zxxzyBu

FAA administrator defends withholding part of ATC pay raise

Democrats on a House appropriations subcommittee accused FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford of trying to “squeeze” the already overstretched air traffic controller workforce.

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Nonprofits from across the ideological spectrum are urging lawmakers to remove the president from the process for picking the next head of Congress' agency responsible for oversight of federal agencies. Sean Michael Newhouse reports: buff.ly/y8nYETJ
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IRS employees were pulled from their careers to do work they weren’t hired or trained to do. Now a Treasury IG wants to know how it’s going, as the IRS considers keeping them there. @jory_heckman gets into what employees are telling the watchdog. buff.ly/XaLfWtP

IRS watchdog audits employee reassignments, as agency looks to extend some tours of duty

Employees placed on these involuntary details are doing jobs several pay grades below the work they were hired to perform, but continue to receive their regular paychecks.

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OPM is taking its pitch for federal careers to college campuses, with some notable people joining the director along the way. Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy looks at who’s been part of the tour and where Kupor is headed next. buff.ly/iUvcrpF

OPM uses conservative influencers on college tour to recruit young workers

On Thursday, the government HR agency chief is visiting an unaccredited college founded by right-wing figures.

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When a workplace accommodation takes months to process, the delay can become a workplace problem of its own. Now 40 House lawmakers want answers from the Labor Department. @jory_heckman gets into what’s behind the backlog. buff.ly/BquMSnS

Labor’s disability accommodation delays under scrutiny by House lawmakers 

Lawmakers say interim accommodations “are infrequently considered,” and that staffing shortages have contributed to significant processing delays and growing backlogs.

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A bipartisan push on federal pay is putting Congress on the clock, with 110 lawmakers calling for at least a 3.8% raise for civilian employees. Erich Wagner has the congressional math and what happens next. buff.ly/Y0FrzTx

Lawmakers call on leadership to override Trump’s planned pay freeze

Members of both parties urged congressional leaders to “at minimum” authorize an across-the-board 3.8% pay raise for civilian federal employees, in line with President Trump’s supplemental pay...

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A long-running NASA discrimination case takes another turn. The employees challenging the EEOC say it overlooked key parts of their case. Erich Wagner gets into what they’re asking the agency to reconsider. buff.ly/BxOriom

NASA employees: EEOC committed ‘flagrant distortions’ to decertify class complaint

EEOC officials touted a long-running discrimination case against NASA as an example why federal sector cases were in need of reform. The employees who brought the case said commissioners railroaded...

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Pay.gov may make federal benefit payments easier, but choosing the right form still matters. Retirement expert Tammy Flanagan walks through what to know before you click submit. buff.ly/AYZmXTA
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VA participated in the arbitration, then said it couldn’t pay for work done while it wasn’t recognizing AFGE. The arbitrator has some questions. @jory_heckman brings the receipts. buff.ly/5BOOcR4

VA disputes arbitration fees split with union it’s fighting to no longer recognize 

VA officials say the agency will pay a "portion" of what a third-party arbitrator billed it, but is "unable to pay” for services rendered when VA didn't officially recognize its largest union.

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An ethics agreement, a Gulf drilling opinion and a text from Chevron. Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy traces what the Interior watchdog found when it put them under the microscope. buff.ly/M4Q7NaY

Interior watchdog clears official over agency work involving his former oil industry employer

The inspector general for the Interior Department has faced scrutiny due to the installation of a political appointee in the office, but the watchdog’s former leader said that the outcome of this...

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How much health data should OPM be able to keep, and for how long? Erich Wagner traces the privacy concerns lawmakers are pressing the agency to address. buff.ly/9oeu08z

Lawmakers again raise alarm over OPM’s health records collection plan

The Office of Personnel Management’s plan to collect claims-level health information about federal workers and their family members and store it for 30 years could open feds up to a potential...

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VA facilities reported more severe staffing challenges than at any point in the past seven years. But there’s an important caveat. @jory_heckman gets into what the numbers do, and don’t, tell us. buff.ly/7DNMdrn

VA’s reported staffing challenges in healthcare facilities hit 7-year high 

An annual report from VA’s inspector general office highlights the types of positions VA healthcare facilities have difficulty filling when they need to hire, but “does not necessarily indicate the...

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