Category: Congress

New York Democratic Rep. Nydia Velázquez says she won’t run for reelection in 2026

reelection, 2026, Nydia, Velázquez, Democratic, York, says, won't, Rep.0 comment

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Rep. Nydia Velázquez — a trailblazer known by the nickname “La Luchadora” or the fighter — announced Thursday that she will retire next year after more than three decades in Congress. Velázquez, 72, is the second long-serving New York Democrat to say she’ll step aside after Rep. Jerry Nadler, 78, announced in September that he’d exit at the end of his current term. Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in Congress, said representing the people of New York City has been the…

Read More...

Lawmakers to finalize NDAA by week’s end, bring the bill to the floor in early December

December, NDAA, weeks, finalize, Early, Lawmakers, Bill, bring, floor0 comment

House and Senate negotiators are racing to finalize the 2026 defense policy bill by the end of the week, with all House and Senate Armed Services Committee disputes resolved and only a few Senate jurisdictional details still holding the legislation’s advancement to the House floor in early December. “I think what they’re doing is, there’s been a couple of pencils-down time frames, but it sounds like it’ll be done by the end of the week. That’s what the focus is. Get it done by the end of the week, and…

Read More...

How the administration is bringing much needed change to software license management

License, Bringing, Management, much, Software, needed, Change, administration0 comment

Over the last 11 months, the General Services Administration has signed 11 enterprisewide software agreements under its OneGov strategy. The agreements bring both standard terms and conditions as well as significant discounts for a limited period of time to agencies. Ryan Triplette, the executive director of the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing, said the Trump administration seems to be taking cues from what has been working, or not working, in the private sector around managing software licenses. Ryan Triplette is the executive director of the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing.…

Read More...

Tentative Senate deal reaffirms back pay, reverses RIFs for federal employees

federal, deal, employees, Reaffirms, Tentative, reverses, RIFs, Senate, back0 comment

The Senate’s initial agreement toward ending the longest-ever government shutdown includes provisions that would secure back pay for all federal employees, as well as reverse the Trump administration’s recent reductions in force. Though much is still up in the air and subject to possible changes, the early steps in the process indicate that, if the Senate bill’s current language is maintained, both excepted and furloughed federal employees would receive back pay dating to Oct. 1, the day the shutdown began. Federal employees, regardless of whether they are furloughed or excepted,…

Read More...

Lawmakers ramp up scrutiny of ICE oversight staff furloughs

oversight, Lawmakers, Scrutiny, Furloughs, staff, ramp0 comment

Democrats in Congress are pressing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to restore oversight staff who were furloughed at the start of the government shutdown. In a Nov. 6 letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, the lawmakers said that staff at the Office of Detention Oversight are crucial to ensuring safety at ICE detention centers. Staff at ODO were furloughed at the outset of the shutdown. “Without ODO staff actively performing these duties, there is a heightened risk that detention facilities fail to meet required standards, compromising detainee safety, access to…

Read More...

Republican leaders reject Trump’s demands to scrap the Senate filibuster to end the shutdown

Senate, Republican, leaders, Demands, reject, shutdown, Filibuster, trumps, scrap0 comment

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump threw himself into the shutdown debate, calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government, an idea swiftly rejected Friday by Republican leaders who have long opposed such a move. Trump pushed his Republican Party to get rid of the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to overcome objections and gives the minority Democrats a check on GOP power. In the chamber that’s currently split, 53-47, Democrats have had enough votes to keep the government closed…

Read More...