Category: Congress

Trump removes Billy Long as IRS commissioner, giving him the shortest-ever tenure in the role

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has removed former U.S. Rep. Billy Long as IRS commissioner less than two months after his confirmation, a White House official said Friday. It was not immediately clear why Long was dismissed. His quick exit makes him the shortest-tenured IRS commissioner confirmed by the Senate since the position was created in 1862. Long said in a social media post that Trump had nominated him for an ambassadorship. “It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on…

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House committee’s top Democrat presses for details on HHS layoffs

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The top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee is renewing his call for details about the reductions in force that have taken place at the Department of Health and Human Services. In a letter sent to HHS on Monday, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), the committee’s ranking member, pressed HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to explain how the layoffs of thousands of federal employees this year are impacting the agency’s mission. “As a result of these actions, operations of vital programs are in jeopardy — threatening to deprive…

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GAO responds to Congress on suggested changes to the bid protest function

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Interview transcript: Terry Gerton So we’re going to talk about Section 885. It’s in the 2025 National Defense Authorization. It got some press when that bill was passed. Can you refresh our memory about what this requires? Eric Crusius Sure, and this kind of has a longer history. For many years, Congress has been looking at curtailing protests and seeing if protests kind of get in the way of the efficient use of the procurement system, so to speak. There was a Section 809 panel a number of years ago.…

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Lawmakers push to eliminate TRICARE premiums for dependents under 26

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A bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers wants to bring TRICARE in line with most civilian health insurance plans by allowing military dependents to remain on their parents’ coverage until age 26 without paying additional premiums. The legislation, dubbed the “Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act,” aims to align TRICARE eligibility with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which requires most civilian insurance plans to cover dependents until they turn 26 at no extra cost. The bill has bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. Under current TRICARE rules,…

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Fewer letters, more addresses: Can the Postal Service keep up?

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Interview transcript: Terry Gerton The U.S. Postal Service is facing a paradox. Mail volume is projected to decline by as much as 41 percent by 2035, yet the number of delivery addresses grows by more than a million each year. A new report from the USPS Office of Inspector General outlines several scenarios for the future of mail, and none of them are easy. Here to explore the operational and financial challenges ahead, the impact of electronic diversion And what innovations might help the Postal Service remain affordable, reliable, and…

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Are we entering a new era in federal budgeting?

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Interview transcript: Terry Gerton Well, it was a busy week in Congress last week. Let’s start with the rescission bill, the one that got passed, $ 9 billion minus the $ 400 million that went to [the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief]. What did you hear as that was going through the process? Loren Duggan That was a bill that was very partisan, and it was backed by Republicans. There were a couple of defections in the Senate, notably Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), but that bill…

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