Chris Van Hollen

The Capitol is seen in Washington, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, as Congress returns to a busy schedule and Democratic lawmakers are laboring to shoulder President Joe Biden's massive $3.5 trillion

What’s next for Congress now that they’ve kicked the budget stone down the road again

The continuing resolution for funding the government runs until February 18.

Congress

Congress’ summer break is like a vacation during which you’ve got to keep checking email

Congress

From left, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.,Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-O.R., announce a draft bill that would decriminalize marijuana on a federal level, Wednesday, July 14, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

COVID safety protocols, infrastructure and insurrection on Congress’ agenda this week

Congress

Amelia Brust/Federal News Network

Contracting community asks Congress for more tech funding — again

Federal Newscast

(Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP)

FILE - In this Oct. 7, 2020, file photo Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig testifies before a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing in Washington. At a Senate hearing Rettig said Tuesday, April 13, 2021, that he expects to meet the July 1 deadline in the new pandemic rescue law for starting a groundbreaking tax program aimed at reducing child poverty. That means new advance monthly payments of as much as $300 per child could begin flowing to lower-income families this summer. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool via AP, File)

IRS plans ‘significant hiring’ to stay ahead of 52K employees expected to leave in coming years

Hiring/Retention

Chris Van Hollen, Debbie Stabenow, Chuck Schumer

Bipartisan bill builds on momentum for greater federal R&D spending

IT Modernization

(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

State Dept adds 1,200 to Foreign Service ranks under Democrats’ $12B budget plan

Budget

The Senate has never truly supported IT modernization and here’s what has to change

Reporter's Notebook

Close up of female hands counting US dollar banknotes at the table in front a laptop computer. Woman accountant with money and notebook.

Omnibus endorses 1% federal pay raise, gives feds more time to repay deferred payroll taxes

Pay & Benefits

Senator Gary Peters, D-Mich., questions Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing to examine Department of Homeland Security personnel deployments to recent protests on Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Washington. (Toni Sandys/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

Lawmakers ask for GAO’s help to identify ‘burrowing’ over last 4 years

Agency Oversight

Sunlight shines on the lawn in front of the Capitol as workers build the stage, bleachers and tower for TV cameras for the presidential inaugural Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Washington. In the midst of a pandemic and at the end of a hotly contested election campaign, the work goes on. (AP Photo/Mark Sherman)

What’s left on the end-of-year to-do list? Just about everything!

Federal Report

Senate appropriators propose federal pay freeze for civilian employees in 2021

Senate Republicans released the drafts of 12 appropriations bills Tuesday morning. One of the bills includes a federal pay freeze for civilian employees,…

Pay

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett arrives for her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 12, 2020. (Caroline Brehman/Pool via AP)

All eyes on the Senate, will any other work get done?

The Senate is almost totally occupied with Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, but this debate also crowds out other important…

Congress

Industry pushes back against WH order on diversity and inclusion training

Federal Newscast

In today’s Federal Newscast, 11 industry associations are calling on the Trump administration to rescind the executive order on diversity and training.