Diplomatic workers’ group warns, State Department leadership being ‘depleted’

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• A diplomatic group warns the State Department is losing its best people fast. The American Foreign Service Association published an open letter to its members from its president, Barbara Stephenson. She said State Department leadership ranks are being depleted at what she calls dizzying speed, and that the Foreign Service officer corps has lost 60 percent of its career ambassadors since January. Higher-ranking career ministers have dropped by nearly half, to only 19. Stephenson added a hiring freeze is worsening the vacuum. She said the losses threaten U.S. leadership around the world. That letter is to be published in the December issue of the Foreign Service Journal. (American Foreign Service Association)

• Congress seems to be disregarding budget caps when it comes to defense spending. The final version of the 2018 defense authorization bill goes almost $80 billion over the caps. It authorizes $700 billion for the Defense Department in 2018. The bill also calls for increasing the Army’s end strength by 7,500 troops. (Federal News Radio)

• The NDAA also includes a controversial provision to let the government shift some of its spending to a system of online marketplaces. The language started as part of the House version of the NDAA. It would order the General Services Administration to pick two or more online portals, like Amazon, in a no-bid process, and then allow federal agencies to start buying commercial products directly through them instead of using traditional contracting procedures or GSA’s Schedules program. Government procurement experts have raised several concerns with the legislation, including that it would favor marketplace operators who are selling their own products. (Federal News Radio)

• With the Senate sending the TSP Modernization Act to the president this week, new withdrawal options for participants could be available as soon as February. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board said it hopes to finish requirements for them by then. The bill gives TSP participants more flexibility like allowing ultimate withdrawals and gets rid of the deadline for post-separation withdrawals. (Federal News Radio)

• The first details on how well agencies are implementing the Data Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act emerge. A Government Accountability Office report said there’s been an expected mixed bag of success and struggles when it comes to reporting agency procurement and grant data. Agencies must report all spending data on USASpending.gov by May 2018. (Federal News Radio)

• The IT modernization bill is one step closer to becoming law. Agencies should now be preparing in earnest to use new working capital funds to modernize their legacy IT systems and networks. The reason? The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act made it through a major hurdle to becoming law. House and Senate lawmakers agreed yesterday on the 2018 Defense Authorization conference report that includes the MGT Act provision. Under the MGT Act, agencies will be able to save money in working capital funds for up to three years and apply it to technology that needs updating. The NDAA now goes to the full House and Senate for a vote and then onto President Donald Trump for his signature.

• The House Veterans Affairs Committee has moved ahead on a comprehensive review of VA facilities. It passed the Veterans Affairs Asset and Infrastructure Review Act, which sets up a commission to look at VA’s medical assets. It also adds an additional $2.1 billion to fund the Choice Program through fiscal year 2018. The committee delayed a vote on a bill that would replace the Choice program with a new community care program because cost projections still aren’t available. (House Veterans Affairs Committee)

• President Trump’s pick to lead the Homeland Security Department has pledged to prioritize modernizing the agency’s hiring techniques. Kirstjen Nielsen told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee she will ensure the agency’s hiring, retention, and professional development efforts are working at full capacity. Especially in critical areas like the southern border and in cybersecurity offices. Nielsen described repairing bad website links and improved job advertising as low hanging fruit. (Federal News Radio)

• House Foreign Affairs Committee members want information on the State Department’s cybersecurity plans. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) send a letter to State Secretary Rex Tillerson, asking for an update on the department’s cyberstrategies, as well as plans for the department’s office of the cyber coordinator. (House Foreign Affairs Committee)

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