Category: Congress

Social Security Administration urging budget anomaly to avoid ‘devastating’ impacts

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The Social Security Administration is ringing alarm bells over what would be “devastating” impacts of flat agency funding, as Congress looks to hammer out a continuing resolution by the end of the month and avoid a government shutdown. During a hearing Wednesday, SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley urged lawmakers on the Senate Budget Committee to include the White House’s full fiscal 2025 budget request of $ 15.4 billion for SSA operations as a budget anomaly in the case of a stopgap spending agreement. Currently, SSA is operating under a budget of…

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House Republicans lead $3B VA supplement to fix year-end budget shortfall

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House Republicans are leading a supplemental funding bill to address a multi-billion-dollar budget crunch at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Leaders of the House Appropriations and House VA committees introduced a bill Friday that would give the VA $ 3 billion to ensure the department can keep paying benefits to veterans for the rest of the fiscal year. The Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act would ensure the VA has enough funding to keep paying veterans’ compensation, pension and readjustment benefits for the rest of fiscal 2024. The…

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Congress returns soon — but not for very long

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When Congress returns next week after a long summer recess. It will only have 13 working days in September, before the end of the federal fiscal year. For a preview of what they’re likely to do, Bloomberg Government congressional reporter Maeve Sheehey joins the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview transcript: Tom Temin When Congress returns next week after a long summer recess, it will only have 13 working days in September before the end of the federal fiscal year. For a preview of what they’re likely to do, Bloomberg…

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The political battle takes shape: What it could mean for basic governmental operations

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Conventions over, the politicians are hammering away at one another. With the election looking close, questions arise over the next fiscal year budget and the timing for getting it actually enacted. WTOP Capitol Hill Correspondent Mitchell Miller shares details on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview transcript: Tom Temin Well, we know there’s a CR; that’s a given. Both parties say that, but the shape and tone and timing of it could be really different depending on who wins. Mitchell Miller Yeah, this is going to be a kind…

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House lawmakers push for EEOC to defend furlough threat

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Two House lawmakers are pushing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to explain why it almost had to furlough almost all of its employees and are accusing agency leadership of “severe mismanagement.” Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the chairwoman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.), the chairman of the committee’s workforce protections subcommittee, wrote to EEOC Chairwoman Charlotte Burroughs seeking documents and answers to questions about the decision to first issue the possible furlough notice and then to rescind it. They called the threat of the…

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How Congress has managed to improve its own operations and capacity

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It may not look like it, but the House of Representatives has been undergoing a steady self-modernization for the last few years. It’s managing its workforce better and has made technology strides, according to the Popvox Foundation, whose founder Marci Harris joins me now. Interview transcript:  Marci Harris  Well, it’s a good question. I would say we are Congress fans. Most of our staff are former congressional staffers who continue to share love of the institution and also left with a lot of opinions about how things could work better.…

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