Wednesday federal headlines – October 28, 2015

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows.

• DoD says it’s rethinking its decrease of troop levels in Alaska. KTVA in Alaska reports Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) that he is committed to creating an operation plan for the Arctic. As of now, the Army is moving ahead with its plan to cut 2,700 troops from Alaska by the end of 2017. (KTVA)

• The Senate has overwhelmingly passed the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act. The bill would require the Homeland Security Department to share reports from companies who have been hit with cyber hacks. Those opposed are concerned about the private information that would be in those reports. The bill will be sent to the House for a vote. (GovTrack)

• The House has voted to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank despite disapproval from many conservatives, including soon-to-be Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). The measure heads to the Senate now, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he may attach it to a must-pass measure. The agency has been restricted from conducting new business since July. (GovTrack)

• A resolution calling for Internal Revenue Service Commissioner John Koskinen’s impeachment is out from House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and 18 other committee members. Chaffetz said Koskinen didn’t comply with a congressional subpoena and documents related to the Lois Lerner email scandal were destroyed on his watch. The IRS told Federal News Radio it complied and responded to all congressional investigations. The House Judiciary Committee will likely consider the resolution next. It would then move to the House, and then the Senate. (Federal News Radio)

• About 102,000 federal employees could be in line for a pay raise. The federal pay agent finalized 13 new locality pay areas and sent its recommendations to President Barack Obama. Among the new areas that could receive locality pay are Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Colorado Springs, Colorado and Austin, Texas. The President said he would make a decision on whether to lift the locality pay increase freeze by Nov. 30. (Federal News Radio)

• Members of the Senior Executive Service said it has gotten harder to fill SES openings over the past two years. In a new survey by the Senior Executives Association, more than three-quarters of respondents said they were concerned about their agencies’ ability to fill senior professional positions. The association said uncertainty about the federal budget and a hostile political climate are among the reasons why. (Federal News Radio)

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