VA sets up commission to find leader for healthcare sector

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 Vete...

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 Veterans Affairs Department creates a group to search for an Undersecretary of Health to lead the Veterans Health Administration.

  • Two-and-a-half months into the new administration, the VA still doesn’t have a Senate-confirmed official to oversee its $61 billion health care operation. Now, the department is setting up a new commission to recruit one. VA said Monday that the commission would be given until May 22 to conduct a nationwide search for a new undersecretary for health. But as of now, none of the members of the commission have been named. The undersecretary job is responsible for overseeing more than 1,200 hospitals and clinics, and by law, has to have “substantial experience” running health programs in similar scope to VA’s. So far, the only Senate-confirmed official serving within VA is Secretary David Shulkin. (Department of Veterans Affairs)
  • Nearly two years after the Office of Personnel Management announced two separate cyber breaches, there’s still no evidence any of the 21 million victims have been targeted due to their personal information being compromised. National Background Investigation Bureau Director Charlie Phalen said the biggest impact of the breach has been the PR hit OPM and the government took. (Federal News Radio)
  • The latest round of updates to USAJobs.gov have been unveiled by the Office of Personnel Management. Applicants can now search for jobs based on location, pay, appointment type, security clearance level and other categories. They can also save searches. OPM is also working with agencies to slowly redesign and rewrite job opportunity announcements. It’s part of OPM’s ongoing series of iterative updates to the jobs portal. (Federal News Radio)
  • The House Armed Services Committee is already thinking of ways to better the Defense Department next year. The Trump administration’s policies could help or hinder some of the recommendations. Defense Secretary James Mattis’ focus on business transformation could streamline some areas. While the hiring freeze could add extra cost to Pentagon processes. (Federal News Radio)
  • It might be time to pull the plug from the government shutdown clock. You may not like the budget you get from this Congress, but it’s looking more and more likely you’ll get a budget. The alternatives would be a full-year continuing resolution, punctuated by a federal shutdown. Hill watchers said an omnibus appropriation is most likely now. As Roll Call’s David Hawkings pointed out, the government is in one party’s hands. It was divided for the last shutdown.
  • The OPEN Government Data Act has gained traction in the private sector. Over 80 businesses and organizations sent a letter to congressional leadership supporting the legislation. The bill requires government agencies to make their data transparent and machine readable. The letter includes signatures from the Center for Data Innovation, IBM, the Sunlight Foundation, and Yelp. (Center for Data Innovation)
  • The Food and Drug Administration may have just broken the code around the cost allocation and recovery model for IT services. FDA Chief Information Officer Todd Simpson said his office is maturing a chargeback model for the mission areas. Simpson said most CIO organizations charge a flat fee to all mission areas to pay for technology. But under FDA’s new approach, the CIO’s office will monitor and measure which mission area is using what hardware or software and then send them a bill — similar to how your electricity or water bills come at home. (Federal News Headlines)
  • Another important nomination has been announced by the White House. President Donald Trump has named Lee Francis Cissna as his choice for Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Right now, Cissna is a Director of Immigration Policy for the Homeland Security Department. He’s also served in USCIS’ Office of Chief Counsel. (The White House)
  • The President has begun making his mark on one agency. The Environmental Protection Agency is closing down its climate adaptation headquarters office. The Hill reports EPA officials said the team of four staffers has been reassigned. The administration proposed a 31-percent cut to the agency last month in its recommended Budget Blueprint. (The Hill)

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