Ron Johnson

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.

In today’s Federal Newscast, a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee bill would create stronger laws to prevent political appointees from becoming career federal employees.

The Senate has little time left to vote on the president’s three nominees to serve as members on the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). If the Senate doesn’t act before the year ends, the board may have no members.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced legislation that would officially authorize the Office of Management and Budget to move government reorganization proposals through Congress.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is also expected to take up legislation authorizing a government reorganization next week.

The Senate took its turn to question the Trump administration about its government reorganization proposals and offered a much different take than members of the House oversight committee.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) has proposed moving the 73 federal inspectors general out from under their agencies and into their own independent agency.

The administration also proposes moving OPM’s current retirement services and health care and insurance offices to the General Services Administration, which would be renamed the “Government Services Agency.”

In today’s Federal Newscast, a whistleblower and the Office of Special Counsel said inspectors with the Federal Aviation Administration cleared planes for take off even though they did not have all of the needed safety information.

As the Senate has a few extra weeks to work, here are several bills worth keeping an eye on this summer.