In addition to the IG Empowerment Act, the committee approved eight bipartisan bills, several of which run the gamut of federal management and workforce issues, from sick leave to car repairs.
A call for more transparency in federal spending, the Taxpayers Right To Know Act would create a central database for financial data and performance metrics for every federal program. The bill cleared the House and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee last year. But it has yet to have a full vote in the Senate. Hudson Hollister, executive director of the Data Transparency Coalition, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to offer one view on this bill.
The 114th Congress convenes on Tuesday, Jan. 6, with some new faces yet to be voted in for important oversights roles such as chairman for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. John Palguta is the vice president for policy at the Partnership for Public Service. He joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to discuss what federal employees should expect in 2015 - from senior executives to civil service reform.
The government should be smaller, the Postal Service's finances need to be addressed once and for all, and it may be time to rethink the civil service system. This is all according to Senator Ron Johnson. The Wisconsin Republican will replace Delaware Democrat Tom Carper as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in December. On the Federal Drive with Tom Temin, Senator Johnson discussed his priorities.
A Senate committee heard testimony Tuesday from retired Rear Adm. Earl Gay on his nomination to be the Office of Personnel's first deputy director in three years.
Wednesday was a productive day for Congress as the House sent two bills to President Barack Obama and a pair of critical DHS nominees head to the Senate floor.
The Senate approved Anne Rung's nomination by voice vote. Procurement experts say improving the acquisition workforce and addressing concerns with strategic sourcing are among her top priorities.
The Inspector General Act gives IGs authority to obtain any information necessary for their investigations, but some agencies are giving IGs a hard time with their requests. Members of Senate and House oversight committees are calling on Shaun Donovan, the recently confirmed director of the Office of Management and Budget, to address the issue.
Two congressional leaders want to know whether USIS' history was considered when awarding a $190 million Homeland Security Department contract.
The nomination of Shaun Donovan to be director of the Office of Management and Budget as well as a variety of bills dealing with federal IT reform and cybersecurity updates crowded the docket of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee business meeting Wednesday.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members will introduce and markup the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 Wednesday. The bill would require OMB to rescind a major section of Circular A-130 in order to fix long-standing complaints with FISMA's reauthorization requirements.
A 1 percent pay raise for 2015 will go a little way toward rebuilding trust between federal employees and Congress and federal employees and their leaders. But only a little way. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee that oversees the federal workforce, wrote a column as part of our special report: Trust Redefined: Reconnecting Government and Its Employees. He says he learned at a recent hearing the trust problems in the workforce are complicated.
Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Thursday the committee plans to mark up a bill on May 21 to give DHS more tools to hire cyber workers more easily.
Federal CIO Steve VanRoekel details three focus areas to improve how agencies buy technology. He says agencies must have the best people, the best contractors and well-designed processes to ensure success in meeting customer and citizen needs.
"Executive branch Swiss cheese" is what Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.) of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee calls leadership vacancies at your agency. He and ranking member, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), are looking for ways to plug up the employment gaps at your agency. Max Stier, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for Public Service, testified before the committee at a hearing called Management Matters: Creating a 21st Century Government. He has a list of recommendations for Congress to follow as it plans a way to modernize your agency's workforce.