House of Representatives

• What can USPS learn from TRICARE in funding retiree health care costs?

  As lawmakers consider efforts to shore up the Postal Service's financial footing, there's still widespread disagreement over whether the current requirement for the agency prefunding requirement is fiscally responsible, as Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) argued during a House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee hearing Thursday, or an "onerous mandate" only required of the Postal Service, as Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) contended.

  Congress

  March 14, 2014
• Senate bill would combine, eliminate 300-plus federal reports

  Legislation newly introduced in the Senate proposes to scrap hundreds of unneeded, outdated or repetitive reports. The House, meanwhile, is marking up its own version of the bill.

  Congress

  March 12, 2014
• House committee OKs bill making TSP’s L Funds the default for new hires

  New Thrift Savings Plan participants would be automatically enrolled in an age-appropriate Lifecycle Fund -- instead of the G Fund -- under a bill set to be debated Wednesday by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The Smart Savings Act, introduced by the committee's chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), is supported by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.

  Congress

  March 11, 2014
• GAO seeks budget hike to restore staffing from rock-bottom levels

  The Government Accountability Office is requesting about $525 million for fiscal 2015, an increase of about 4 percent, or $19 million, above current levels. The additional funding would allow the agency to continue staffing up the agency from the nearly rock-bottom levels it hit over the past few years. The additional funding would also allow GAO to make upgrades to its aging IT infrastructure and do long-deferred building upkeep and and maintenance

  Budget

  March 05, 2014
• Poll: How would you fix the failing budget process?

  Federal News Radio asked a panel of experts how they would solve the flawed budget process as part of our special report: Now or Never: Ideas to Save the Failing Budget Process. See what they had to say and tell us which ideas you think would work best.

  Budget

  March 04, 2014
• Feds should not shoulder the burden of deficit reduction

  Federal employees continue to be Congress' go-to resource for deficit reduction through pay freezes and increases in their retirement contributions, according to Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). Van Hollen's column is part of Federal News Radio's special report, Now or Never: Ideas to Save the Failing Budget Process.

  Budget

  March 04, 2014
• Biennial budget process will reduce agency waste, increase congressional efficiency

  Twenty states currently use biennial budgeting, with great results, says Congressman Reid Ribble. Rep. Ribble's column is part of Federal News Radio's special report, Now or Never: Ideas to Save the Failing Budget Process.

  Budget

  March 04, 2014
• Will IRS budget pleas be ignored in Congress?

  IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government that budget and staffing reductions are impacting the agency's core missions of customer service and tax collection. The agency projects it will only be able to answer 61 percent of phone calls this year, meaning some 20 million phone calls will go unanswered. Meanwhile, taxpayers attempting to reach IRS offices are facing wait times that stretch past 20 minutes.

  Budget

  February 27, 2014
• House Dems, employee groups want Obama to chuck chained CPI

  More than 100 members of the House and a dozen outside groups have signed on to a letter to President Barack Obama from Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) requesting that the upcoming White House budget not include a proposal to alter the way retirees' cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, the American Federation of Government Employees and the Military Officers Association of American have signed on in support of the letter.

  Congress

  February 19, 2014
• Congress eyeing legislative fix for security clearances

  President Barack Obama signed the OPM IG Act into law this week. The law provides the agency's top watchdog with an additional source of funding to conduct audits and investigations of the security-clearance process.

  Congress

  February 13, 2014
• Which lawmakers are fed-friendly on Capitol Hill?

  Federally Employed Women released its annual Voting Record Scorecard. Now, federal employees can see which lawmakers are supporting legislation that helps them.

  All News

  January 16, 2014
• 2014 funding: Agency-by-agency breakdown of spending bill

  With the unveiling of the bipartisan spending bill this week, federal agencies are getting a clearer picture of how much funding they'll get for the rest of the fiscal year. Track which agencies will see sizable increases or which will be getting the short end of the stick.

  Budget

  January 16, 2014
• Agency watchdogs seek more independence, budget boost

  House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) says agency inspectors general are increasingly facing obstacles in their efforts to uncover waste and misconduct. The top watchdogs at both the Justice Department and the Peace Corps told lawmakers they've faced resistance from their agencies at times in turning over records in recent years. Lawmakers also expressed concern about the impact of across-the-board budget cuts on the operations agency IG operations.

  Congress

  January 15, 2014
• Senate extends short-term CR; House ready to OK government-wide $1.1T budget

  Shunning the turmoil of recent budget clashes, Congress is ready to approve a massive $1.1 trillion spending bill for this year, a compromise financing everything from airports to war costs and brimming with victories and setbacks for both parties.

  Budget

  January 15, 2014