Category: Congress

Congress cares about one thing now and its not 2023 appropriations

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Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. Congress trucks back to Washington this week with only a few legislative days left before the end of the fiscal year. They’ll have to deal with government funding among other things. Here with the outlook Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan, who talked to the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview transcript: Tom Temin:  Let’s begin with what’s the schedules precisely for the House and the Senate. Loren Duggan: Well,…

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White House expects CR ahead of fiscal 2023, seeks $47B in emergency spending

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The Biden administration, expecting Congress will need more time to pass a comprehensive spending package for fiscal 2023, is requesting $ 47 billion in emergency funds to last through the end of the calendar year. Nearly half the funding would go toward the federal government’s response to COVID-19. That includes the rollout of updated booster shots approved this week by the Food and Drug Administration and restarting a program to deliver free COVID-19 rapid tests to households. The administration is also seeking emergency funding for the first quarter of fiscal…

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Education Dept sets deadline for Public Service Loan Forgiveness waiver

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The Education Department is trying to make it easier for public servants to receive student debt relief, but the changes to the federal relief program are only temporary. The agency added a waiver to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, in an effort to help more public servants receive debt relief, but to qualify for the program, applications must be in by Oct. 31. The PSLF program, in part, aims to encourage more college graduates to join the federal service. Borrowers who have worked for 10 years in federal…

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Five federal workforce items on Congress’ to-do list

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With the end of fiscal year 2022 approaching and a Sept. 30 deadline, Congress still has a lot on its plate to avoid a continuing resolution (CR), or potentially a government shutdown. Although some lawmakers have said a CR is already nearly inevitable, there are several key components on Congress’ to-do list when the House and Senate return from the August recess. Appropriations bills So far, the House passed six of its 12 spending bills for fiscal 2023 on July 20. Senate Democrats also released draft legislation for the 12…

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Senate committee calls on VA, DOJ to improve accessibility to federal technology

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Senate lawmakers are pushing the departments of Justice and Veterans Affairs, along with all agencies, to improve the accessibility of their online services. The Senate Special Committee on Aging looked into the accessibility of federal technology, specifically for seniors and individuals with disabilities, as well as older and disabled veterans. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), the committee’s chairman, said accessing digital services became a more prevalent concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, after accelerating a long-term shift in delivering government services through virtual, rather than physical, platforms. The acceleration of digital services…

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Water water everywhere: EPA using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds to make it safer to drink

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The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes the single largest investment of water infrastructure ever in federal government, with more than $ 50 billion going to Environmental Protection Agency programs. More than $ 20 billion is intended for safe drinking water programs, $ 15 billion is dedicated to replace lead pipes and $ 1.8 billion is to protect regional waters, according to the agency. Karen Dettmer, managing director for Infrastructure Implementation at EPA, said it is also the first time the agency has dedicated funding for tackling emerging contaminants, through its State…

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