Category: Congress

GOP civil service overhaul effort violates reconciliation rules

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An attempt from Republicans to remove civil service protections for newly hired federal employees now faces a higher obstacle under GOP reconciliation bill. The Senate parliamentarian on Sunday marked several provisions of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s portion of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” as violations of reconciliation rules. One of those provisions sought to make all new federal employees choose between becoming an at-will employee and taking on a 5% increase in their contribution rate to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), or keeping their civil service…

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Army promises detailed transformation plan to Congress within 10 days

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Army officials told lawmakers they will provide a detailed briefing on the service’s new transformation initiative within the next ten days, following mounting pressure from Congress to explain plans for the sweeping overhaul announced more than a month ago. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George returned to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for another round of questioning about the Army’s fiscal 2026 budget request. But formal details about program cuts and investment shifts tied to the service’s transformation initiative remain scarce. “The Army must change and…

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Cuts to civil service protections remain in Senate committee’s reconciliation proposal

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Despite taking some proposed cuts to federal benefits off the table, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is still looking to remove civil service job protections for federal employees as part of the GOP reconciliation process. The Senate committee’s proposal for the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” released Thursday, kept three of four key sections impacting the federal workforce that House lawmakers passed last month. HSGAC’s legislative text also made a handful of revisions and added several new provisions not seen in the House’s version. In total, the committee…

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An objective look at Congress’ ability to conduct effective oversight

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Interview transcript: Terry Gerton: Well, you make a case in a recent paper that Congress has been neglecting its oversight role over the last two decades. What’s your evidence? J.D. Rackey: Yeah. So the claim is pretty well substantiated in political science literature, and I’m trying to raise that here in the D.C. world, that there’s been a long, steady, bipartisan decline in how Congress approaches its oversight. And there’s been a decline, in particular, in the number of hearings that Congress has been holding — and oversight hearings —…

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IRS needs 11,000 hires to ‘maintain’ phone support for 2026 filing season, plans on 60% cut to IT staffing

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The IRS is preparing for major budget and staffing cuts next year, but simultaneously, congressional Republicans are trying to pass a budget reconciliation package that would create much more work for the tax agency. Former IRS leaders say they’re concerned the agency will have fewer resources to provide an acceptable level of customer service during next year’s filing season — especially if President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” makes it through Congress. The tax-and-spending cuts bill would have the IRS scrambling to prepare its IT systems and employees for…

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Trump formally asks Congress to claw back approved spending targeted by DOGE

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The White House on Tuesday officially asked Congress to claw back $ 9.4 billion in already approved spending, taking funding away from programs targeted by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. It’s a process known as “rescission,” which requires President Donald Trump to get approval from Congress to return money that had previously been appropriated. Trump’s aides say the funding cuts target programs that promote liberal ideologies. The request, if it passes the House and Senate, would formally enshrine many of the spending cuts and freezes sought by DOGE. It…

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