Category: Congress

Senator calls out USPS leadership as first-class financial failures

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Senate Democrats are telling the Postal Service to rethink its 10-year reform plan. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and six of her colleagues are concerned about USPS mail volume, which has plummeted to a 40-year low. The senators are also skeptical about plans to grow the package business, which is not bringing in enough money to make up the difference. They warn that higher mail prices are also driving away more USPS customers and that the agency is falling short of its break-even goal. The senators are calling on members of…

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IRS seeks $104B for multi-year modernization fund to maintain customer service improvements

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The IRS is telling lawmakers that billions of dollars in multi-year modernization funds are helping the agency provide a level of customer service that taxpayers expect — and is asking for more funding to keep up with that demand. The agency handled a million more calls this filing season, compared to the 7.7 million it answered last year — and three million more calls than in 2022. The IRS exceeded its customer service goals for the second year in a row, providing an 88% level of phone service during this…

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One prescription for runaway Medicare costs

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Medicare spending is among the top drivers of the nation’s expanding debt. Everyone knows it. It’s not up to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to set policy, though. It’s up to Congress. For some details, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, James Capretta. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin Let’s talk about the structure of the Medicare system. I think people typically assume it’s a pay as you go system. And it might be that, but like Social Security,…

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GOP senators seek IG review to see if SBA office space remains underutilized

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Republicans on the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee are calling for a watchdog review of the Small Business Administration’s office space use, over concerns its offices remain underutilized. In a letter to SBA’s inspector general, committee ranking member Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) led committee members Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) in asking the watchdog office for a report on SBA’s current office space utilization. “We request your office assess the SBA’s office space utilization as part of your role in providing independent, objective, and timely oversight of the…

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Passing 2025 defense spending bill will be ‘particularly difficult’

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While passing the 2024 defense budget was arduous as lawmakers struggled to agree on government funding plans for nearly six months into the fiscal year, negotiating the 2025 defense spending is shaping up to be “particularly difficult.” The Pentagon proposed a fiscal 2025 budget of $ 849.8 billion, about 1% higher than this year’s budget request. The top line figure aligns with the Fiscal Responsibility Act passed last year, which sets limits on defense and non-defense discretionary spending. Defense officials said the 1% increase would not be enough to cover…

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Dysfunction in Congress spoils the work life of congressional staff

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Few workforces have been studied and dissected as much as that of the two million-strong executive branch of the federal government. There’s another smaller, if no less crucial workforce. It belongs to Congress. The latest research shows wide-and-deep dissatisfaction among congressional staff members. For details, the Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, Brad Fitch. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And you have surveyed members of the congressional staff. What is it? About 30,000 plus or minus. Tell us about the survey…

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