Don Beyer

Lawmakers have asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to allow employees impacted by the upcoming USDA relocation to use telework and other flexibilities to alleviate the burdens of the move to Kansas City. USDA and the American Federation of Government Employees are expected to continue bargaining negotiations over those flexibilities this week.

In a letter to acting OPM Director Margaret Weichert, Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) questioned why the administration didn’t warn Congress earlier about the agency’s coming financial challenges.

In today’s Federal Newscast, President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week directing federal agencies to cut at least one-third of all federal advisory committees.

Federal contractors said the recent government shutdown was marked by confusion, lack of communication and unclear guidance from agencies about their responsibilities.

Until the Trump administration provides more details about its plans to reorganize the Office of Personnel Management, Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee are urging appropriators to prohibit funds for the proposed merger.

House Democrats have again reintroduced legislation that would guarantee paid family leave for federal employees to care for a new child or sick family member. This time, the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act would guarantee up to 12 weeks of time.

In today’s Federal Newscast, several DC area members of Congress want to know if it’s realistic for federal employees to expect more money in their next paycheck on March 15.

In today’s Federal Newscast, a federal court rules against an employee appealing his removal when he failed a drug test, after he says he accidentally ate a pot brownie.

The agency that administers the Thrift Savings Plan said there may be a legislative movement building in Congress to allow federal employees more flexibility to tap into their TSP accounts with fewer penalties during future government shutdowns.

In today’s Federal Newscast, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates there were about $2.3 billion in government contracts that would have been issued to small firms over the past month, but weren’t because of the government shutdown.