Congress | Voter.org

Grassley calls for 10 agencies to account for payment arrangements of temporarily employed non-feds

January 13, 2023 Temporarily, payment, Grassley, arrangements, employed, nonfeds, calls, account, Agencies0 comment

The top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee is calling for a sweeping review of agencies using non-federal employees to serve in temporary roles while being paid by outside entities. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking 10 agencies to provide a full accounting of these types of hires made under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. Grassley is raising these concerns following news reports that the Federation of American Scientists, a non-profit with ties to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is paying the salaries of dozens of positions within the Biden administration.…

Speaking of the House: What’s in store for the 118th Congress?

January 9, 2023 Congress, House, speaking, What's, Store, 118th0 comment

Besides the tragedy-comedy drama over selection of a House Speaker, there is a rather potent agenda for the 118th Congress. Authorizations. Appropriations are so far off. Debt ceiling. And the gambits Republicans in the house are hoping to launch. To cover it all in 10 minutes, spoke with Federal Drive with Tom Temin Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan. Interview transcript: Loren Duggan It has been these normally routine steps that often are dispensed with pretty quickly have obviously taken much longer this year to name a speaker and…

She’s retired from government, but not from national security

January 5, 2023 security, from, government, National, Retired, She’s0 comment

Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. For long-serving federal executives, retirement from government is merely a gateway to a next phase. A case in point is Letitia Long, who retired back in 2014 as director of the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency. She sits on several corporate boards and chairs one of the big trade associations. For some insight into her post-government life and a few other matters, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Letitia Long. Interview…

Firefighters get what they want in the new Defense Authorization law

January 1, 2023 Defense, they, firefighters, Authorization, want0 comment

Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. Like much of the legislation enacted in the past couple of years, the National Defense Authorization Act has something for everybody. That includes the nation’s federal and military firefighters. For more, the Federal Drive turned to the president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, Edward Kelly. Interview transcript: Tom Temin Let’s just establish that the NDAA mainly concerned federal firefighters, military firefighters, but they are also represented by your union. Edward…

The more industry peels open the omnibus bill, the stranger it looks

December 28, 2022 looks, more, open, Bill, industry, Omnibus, peels, stranger0 comment

Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. The omnibus budget package is a lot more than a bill to fund government operations. Congress stuffed its five thousand pages with tax and business provisions. Some have real impact. For what federal contractors have discovered so far, the Federal Drive turned to the executive vice president for policy at the Professional Services Council, Stephanie Kostro. Interview transcript: Tom Temin And you and the council and your member companies have several themes…

Congress drives CIO authorities deeper down at USDA, Justice, State

December 24, 2022 state, Congress, down, Justice, deeper, drives, authorities, USDA0 comment

While the spotlight shines brightest on the fiscal 2023 omnibus bill around which agency got how much money and for which programs, federal employees can’t lose sight of the consolidated appropriations bill as a key policy document. Scattered throughout the 4,100 page bill, there are nuggets of new or ongoing requirements that impact every part of an agency’s mission. The Senate passed the omnibus bill Dec. 22 by a vote of 68 to 29. At the same time, the language lawmakers’ use provides insight into what they are paying attention…