Category: Congress

Congressional repeal of Social Security’s ‘evil twins’ nears finish line

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The possibility of repealing Social Security’s so-called ‘evil twins” is closer than ever to the finish line. There are now 303 House cosponsors on the Social Security Fairness Act. It is the second highest number of cosponsors on any pending bill in all of Congress. If enacted, the legislation would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). The two provisions reduce, and in some cases eliminate, Social Security benefits for certain federal retirees. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE) is urging the…

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Government shutdown can kicked down the road, again

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It’s not a snow day in the DMV today, but federal agencies in the Washington, D.C.-area are open under what the Office of Personnel Management calls a “two-hour delayed arrival.” OPM also said that feds have the option for unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Emergency employees, though, are expected to report to work on time. (Washington, DC Area, 1/19/24 – OPM) A government shutdown has been averted and Congress has another six weeks to get fiscal 2024 funding across the finish line. House and Senate lawmakers passed the third continuing…

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Congress labors to keep the budget deal alive

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The continuing resolution funding the government runs out Friday at 11:59 p.m. So far the spending limits Republicans and Democrats agreed to, a week or so ago, have not translated into bills for full 2024 appropriations. That means neither a long-term continuing resolution nor a shutdown is off the table. For the latest, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Interview Transcript:    Mitchell Miller Right now things are looking better, but things were not looking good heading into the weekend. But during…

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Concerns over NASA’s SEWP VI small business strategy come to surface

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Concerns about NASA’s sixth iteration of its governmentwide acquisition contract known as SEWP have been bubbling underneath the surface for much of the past few months. Industry experts have quietly been wringing their collective hands over NASA’s plans for the small business size standard it detailed in the draft solicitation. The worry is the new size standard would exclude or make it nearly impossible for a large swath of small businesses to compete on the contract. Those fears broke through the surface in a new letter from Reps. Roger Williams…

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Once again with feeling, Congress goes for a budget

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Border. Budget. Border. Budget. If Congress sounds like a broken record, well it is. With two weeks to go before government funding lapses for many agencies, Congress did something to move the ball forward on Sunday. The Federal Drive with Tom Temin gets the latest from Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin Well, it turns out Congress over the weekend looks like it may be made a little progress. We get the latest now from Bloomberg Government Deputy News director Loren Duggan. And Loren, what…

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New year, new opportunities for contracting protests

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Whether Congress passes a 2024 budget or not, federal agencies will continue to engage in contracting. That will mean continued protests by disappointed bidders. You can learn a lot from protests that have already been settled. For a roundup of some of the most significant protests of 2023, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin  spoke with Haynes Boone procurement attorney Dan Ramish. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And you’ve got a list you put together that you think are illustrative of the big trends that people should worry about this year,…

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