Another Phoenix VA whistleblower claims to be facing retaliation

In today's Top Federal Headlines, an employee at Veterans Affairs' troubled Phoenix hospital says he is facing retaliation for exposing continued management pro...

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, an employee at Veterans Affairs’ troubled Phoenix hospital says he is facing retaliation for exposing continued management problems.

  • Another whistleblower at the Veterans Affairs Phoenix hospital claims he is being retaliated against for shedding light on continued mismanagement and backlogs. The Washington Free Beacon reports Kuauhtemoc Rodriguez, chief of Specialty Care Clinics at the hospital, is being forced to testify to an investigation board on allegations, he created a hostile work environment. Rodriguez says this another attempt for hospital leaders to cover their own failings. (Washington Free Beacon)
  • Some national security experts think the Trump administration might boost the number of staffers in the White House. That comes after Congress recently mandated the National Security Council cap its number of employees at 150. Trump is adding a National Trade Council and will need staff to coordinate between advisory boards, says former NATO ambassador Ivo Daalder. (Federal News Radio)
  • The nation’s top intelligence officer said the federal government should bring back the U.S. Information Agency. National Intelligence Director James Clapper said the U.S. would be well served by what he called a “U.S.IA on steroids.” He tells the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia’s attempt to influence the presidential election went well beyond hacking computer systems. A declassified intelligence report set for release next week will detail a widespread Russian disinformation campaign complete with fake news stories and government-funded media. He said the U.S. needs to come up with more aggressive ways to counteract foreign propaganda. (Federal News Radio)
  • The incoming Trump administration receives advice to improve federal cyber efforts. Two leading lawmakers and a group of public and private sector experts said the time has come for the Homeland Security Department to have a separate component that is focused solely on cybersecurity issues. The Commission on Cybersecurity for the 45th President sent 250 recommendations to President-elect Donald Trump yesterday. Among the suggestions are a major reorganization of DHS and the White House around cyber oversight and implementation authorities. The commission also wants to create an expert group of auditors to test agency cyber defenses. (Federal News Radio)
  • IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warns a federal hiring freeze would hinder his agency during the 2017 tax filing season. Koskinen said IRS is already hiring temporary employees. But if a rumored Trump administration hiring freeze includes the IRS, he said taxpayers could face cybersecurity problems and poor customer service. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Office of Special Counsel reminds agencies they’re required to take part in OSC’s whistleblower protection training and certification program. 100 agencies are certified now and 44 agencies and components are registered to become certified. That’s double the number of agencies that were certified about a year ago. The Homeland Security Department, Treasury, Labor, Justice and Social Security Administration were some of the larger agencies that became certified in 2016. (Office of Special Counsel)
  • Veterans Affairs is starting a 30-day “surge” effort to find housing for as many homeless veterans as it can. Secretary Bob McDonald is challenging federal, state, and local governments, as well as community partners to make this a priority. McDonald said he’s seen this surge effort work in individual cities before, and wants to try it nationwide. (Department of Veterans Affairs)
  • The Labor Department sues a major Silicon Valley player over employee compensation data. Google might have technology and political influence, but it’s also a federal contractor. It can’t escape federal wage and hiring reporting requirements. Labor said the lawsuit stems from a routine audit. The dispute dates back more than a year, when Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs asked Google for data on its equal opportunity program. It said the company has balked. (Federal News Radio)

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