GAO calls on FEMA to help more people in need of rebuilding their homes

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• About two-thirds of Federal News Network survey respondents are satisfied with their current work situation, but raised concerns about a potential push for more in-office work. Close to 80% of survey respondents said they’d be concerned if their agency required them to come into the office more often. Some respondents also said they would look elsewhere for work if their agency asked them to come in more days per week. The largest concern with returning to the office was the commute, with work-life balance, work productivity and COVID-19 safety protocols all not far behind. Currently, most feds in a hybrid workplace are in the office one day per week.

• The Federal Emergency Management Agency needs to do better at helping homeowners who want assistance repairing their homes after a natural disaster. The Government Accountability Office reports that from 2018 to 2021, only about half of the 2.7 million applicants for FEMA assistance were able to get home inspections to determine eligibility. And only about 710,000 applicants actually got FEMA assistance during that time period. GAO wants FEMA to improve the accuracy of the home inspection process, and to do more to assess the eligibility of applicants.

• Agencies faced the smallest number of contract protests in more than 5 years. The number of protests sent to the Government Accountability Office fell by 12% in fiscal 2022. This is the second year in a row and third time since 2018 that the number of complaints dropped by more than 10%. In its annual report to Congress, GAO said it received 1,658 protests last year. This includes 344 that were from task orders worth a certain dollar value. Of all the protests, 455 went all the way to decision and only 59 actually were sustained. Additionally, more than half of all protests resulted in some action being taken by the agency or GAO.

• The 2030 census remains more than seven years away, but the Census Bureau is already planning what the next population count will look like. It has begun dozens of research projects to address five areas to enhance the science of census-taking, including: motivating and encouraging responses, the technology that underlies the effort, and new data sources to improve the quality and effectiveness of its information. This research and public input will help the Census Bureau design how it will conduct the decennial event. The bureau has already received more than 2,000 comments from its August request for information.

• Less than a week before the midterm elections, House Republicans have unveiled a new cybersecurity push for critical systems. Critical electric utilities would have to report cyber incidents to the Energy Department within 24 hours under a bill introduced by GOP members of the Energy and Commerce Committee. It would also direct DOE to clarify the scope and scale of incidents that require reporting. A separate bill would require the National Institutes of Health to increase the cybersecurity of its systems. And yet another new piece of legislation would require the Department of Health and Human Services to increase its cybersecurity coordination with healthcare providers.

• Reps. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) and Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) introduced the Trust in Government Act, calling on agencies to improve a host of public-facing federal services. In the legislation, the Social Security Administration would be required to develop a better online process for annuitants to access forms. The Education Department would be required to collaborate with other agencies to streamline its Public Service Loan Forgiveness process. And the IRS would need to design more online tools and services for taxpayers. If passed, agencies would have six months to meet some of the lawmakers’ requirements.

• Congress appropriated $65.7 billion for classified intelligence community activities in fiscal 2022. The Director of National Intelligence disclosed that latest figure on total National Intelligence Program spending this week. Further details beyond the topline number are kept secret. The Biden administration wants to increase classified intelligence spending by about $2 billion in fiscal 2023.

• Four years after the Evidence Act created the role of Chief Data Officer, groups are recommending that Congress create a federal CDO at the Office of Management and Budget as a senior executive-level position. In its report on a survey of federal CDOs, the Data Foundation, sponsored by Guidehouse, found that only half of CDOs think their responsibilities are clear. Last year, 75% reported that they thought their responsibilities were clear. Additionally, 22% of CDOs report that they do not have the resources necessary to achieve their mission.

• The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board announced October’s performance for the Thrift Savings Plan and the funds increased almost across the board. The only fund that saw a loss was the fixed-income F Fund, which dropped 1.26%. The one with the largest gain was the small-cap stock index S Fund, which gained 8.59% over the month of October. Year-to-date all funds are down except for the G Fund. That one is up 2.29% on the year. (Federal News Network)

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