House Democrats introduce Taxpayer Data Protection Act in response to Musk’s actions

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  • House Democrats are making a push to secure data at the Treasury Department. A group of lawmakers have introduced the Taxpayer Data Protection Act. The bill seeks to add a layer of protection against anyone seeking to access the agency’s systems. The legislation would bar anyone with conflicts of interest or without a security clearance from getting into the Treasury Department’s data. The bill comes after billionaire Elon Musk and some of his employees gained access to Treasury Department data. House Democrats said they’re expecting a Senate companion bill for the Taxpayer Data Protection Act shortly.
    (Taxpayer Data Protection Act – House Democrats)
  • The Office of Management and Budget has a new director. Russell Vought, who led the budget office in the first Trump administration, is returning to that role after the Senate confirmed him yesterday 53 to 47. Vought, who is the architect behind Project 2025, didn’t receive any support from the Democrats. Senate Democrats held a 30-hour takeover of the floor earlier this week to oppose Vought’s nomination.
  • Agencies are being encouraged to reclassify their chief information officer positions within the Senior Executive Service. Agency chief information officers have traditionally been considered career reserve under the SES. But now the Office of Personnel Management is recommending reclassifying them to be general SES positions, which would make it easier to make them appointees. While agencies always could have done this, OPM said agencies should seek this reclassification by February 14 because CIOs play a bigger policy focused role than ever before. The administration said CIOs make more choices about what to prioritize and to fund. Additionally, OPM said because CIO talent is hard to find, this reclassification opens the door to a deeper supply of talent outside career SES ranks.
  • The Trump administration may start taking other avenues to reduce the federal workforce. But those efforts may not lead to the desired results. Reductions in force (RIFs) are one possibility for pursuing federal workforce reductions. But some experts warn that RIFs are a lengthy, complex process that can open agencies to legal challenges and worsening productivity. Agencies have to follow careful steps in RIFs, including creating a detailed action plan, conducting data validation, and working with federal unions. The process can take months, and in some cases, well over a year. And during that time, workforce experts say agencies see major disruptions and uncertainty in their work. The possibility of using RIFs as a way to reduce the federal workforce, however, may be growing. That’s after a federal judge ordered a pause on the Trump administration’s “deferred resignation” program.
  • The Trump Administration’s deferred resignation program for federal employees is on hold. A federal judge in Massachusetts ordered the Office of Personnel Management to hold off on taking any steps to implement the program until at least Monday. That’s when a hearing is scheduled in a Boston courtroom. Attorneys for labor unions and the federal government will present their arguments over the program’s legality. At that point, the judge will either extend the restraining order that’s currently blocking the program, or let it go into effect.
    (Deferred resignation program on hold – Federal News Network )
  • The General Services Administration’s plans to relocate are coming into focus. Senior GSA leaders are preparing to move staff from its current headquarters to the nearby Interior Department in order to prepare for the eventual sale of 1800 F Street. GSA’s top real estate officials told employees he’s on a mission to cut half of all non-Defense federal building space. GSA senior leaders said the Trump administration is looking at a possible merger of GSA, the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget.
  • The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency’s impact on the General Services Administration has led to the repeal of 23 internal directives and policies. DOGE said that equals more than 74,000 words, some of which were focused on diversity, equity and inclusion requirements for the agency and for contractors. Additionally, DOGE said GSA terminated three leases of mostly empty office space, with tenants relocating to nearby buildings. By getting out of those three leases, the government is saving more than $ 1.6 million dollars.
    (DOGE – Social media platform X)
  • The Postal Service is showing a profit, at least for the first quarter of fiscal 2025. USPS reports a net income of $ 144 million dollars after a busy year-end holiday season. For the same period last year USPS saw a more than $ 2 billion net loss. USPS still expects a net loss for the entire fiscal year. But Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said things are headed in the right direction.
  • Concerns mount for military families over the return-to-office orders. While military spouses employed by the federal government “should” be able to continue working remotely, the Office of Personnel Management directive and agency-level memos create a lot of confusion and leave many questions unanswered. As spouses are seeking clarity on return-to-office orders, a group of lawmakers is demanding that OPM issue “immediate government guidance to protect remote work opportunities to the maximum extent possible” for military and diplomatic spouses. In addition, two lawmakers introduced a bill on Wednesday that would exempt military spouses from the return-to-office mandate.
  • The Army Women’s Museum website is down to ensure compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order that bans all diversity initiatives across the federal government. While the museum remains open, the website is currently undergoing “additional content review.” The Naval History and Heritage Command has also removed the page devoted to women in service. Last week, the National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic Museum covered up photos of women in cryptology with brown paper, but the museum later said it had “corrected the mistake.”

The post House Democrats introduce Taxpayer Data Protection Act in response to Musk’s actions first appeared on Federal News Network.

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