Federal Flexible Spending Account program is open for business

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on  Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

In today’s Top Federal Headlines, the Office of Personnel Management ends the blackout period for claims and reimbursements for federal employees’ Flexible Spending Accounts.

• The wait is over: federal employees can once again use their Flexible Spending Accounts. Office of Personnel Management Acting Director Beth Cobert announced the blackout period for claims and reimbursements has come to an end and FSAFeds.com is up and running. The stoppage was for OPM to transition to its new contractor WageWorks. (Office of Personnel Management)

• The General Services Administration authorized the first commercial cloud computing provider under its FedRAMP accelerated program. The team working the fast-track version of the cloud approval program said it took about 15 weeks instead of six or nine months. FedRAMP accelerated launched in late March. (Federal News Radio)

• A proposed rule from the Federal Acquisition Regulation Council looks to increase the dollar threshold to trigger an audit of prime and subcontract proposed settlements when contracts are terminated. The rule would raise the threshold from $100,000 to $750,000. The FAR Council said  it would help alleviate contract close-out backlogs. (Federal Register)

• You want to modernize your agency? Then give a little love to your chief technology officer, often overshadowed by other ‘c’ types, like the chief information or financial officer. A survey of CTOs shows they need more power and authority to be effective. When they are, they can make a big difference when it comes to everyone’s favorite word, innovation. That survey was done by a Professional Services Council committee. (Professional Services Council)

• The House is moving quickly on a bill that would shorten the time VA employees and senior executives can appeal disciplinary actions and removals. House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) introduced the bill. It didn’t go through the committee. But the House could vote on the bill with 22 extra amendments. House Democrats and some federal employees groups oppose the bill. They said it would strip VA employees and managers of their due process rights and could have some constitutional problems. (Federal News Radio)

• Some conservative House members renew calls to impeach IRS commissioner John Koskinen. Reps. John Fleming (R-La.) and Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) called up a privileged resolution to impeach Koskinen, which could force a House vote on the matter this week. Many legal experts said the idea has a slim chance of passing the Senate. (Representative John Fleming)

• A powerful House lawmaker continues to press OPM on its cybersecurity. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) wants to know why the Office of Personnel Management still hasn’t implemented a major cyber recommendation from 2014. The chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote to OPM acting Director Beth Cobert asking for details on the status of 56 total recommendations, including three new ones around IT security. One of the oldest recommendations is from 2014 when GAO said OPM should strengthen the security requirements of contractor-owned systems. Chaffetz asked for a response by Sept. 26. (House Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

• The Obama Administration is once again deliberating whether to separate the National Security Agency from the military’s U.S. Cyber Command, but any such plan will run into trouble on Capitol Hill. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Tuesday that he will block any plan that would get rid of the dual-hatted arrangement that’s been in effect since 2009, when the Defense Department decided that CYBERCOM and NSA should be led by the same military officer. Defense Secretary Ash Carter acknowledged the matter is up for debate, even though the Obama Administration rejected the idea two years ago. He said DoD is also reexamining the right mix between civilians, military members and contractors. (Federal News Radio)

• The Partnership for Public Service has a four-step roadmap for developing a successful management agenda. The goal is to help the next administration build a good foundation to deliver on agency priorities promised during campaigns. Presidential transition teams should start brainstorming now on subjects like how the next administration should leverage agencies’ career executive talent, treat government as an integrated enterprise, use innovation, and organize their decision making. (Partnership for Public Service)

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