President Biden on Friday signed into law Congress’ $ 1.7 trillion spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September, praising the measure as a shining example of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill. The Washington Times stories: White House
Read More...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…
Read More...Republicans in Congress missed a huge opportunity to begin putting our country’s fiscal house in order. Inflation caused by runaway government spending and money printing was the top issue on the minds of voters in the November midterm elections. The Left’s reckless pursuit of these disastrous policies has been a boon for fiscally conservative politicians bold enough to honor their promise to the American people. “Across the country, conservative candidates who offered courageous leadership and a clear policy agenda were rewarded,” Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts explained. “Candidates who focused…
Read More...Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on Apple Podcasts or PodcastOne. The remaining days of the 117th Congress leave both chambers with a bit of an agenda. Perhaps topping the list for the Senate is keeping its record of passing Defense authorization bills by the end of the calendar year. To get an update on all this, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Interview transcript: Tom Temin: And now the lame duck is paddling away.…
Read More...Lawmakers have until Dec. 16, when the current continuing resolution expires, to pass the rest of the appropriations bills and fund the government next year, but it’s not the only item on the congressional to-do list with big implications for the federal workforce. Many of those additional items are included as amendments under the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2023. There are more than 1,000 amendments to the NDAA, and at least a handful of them have the potential to change the federal hiring process, federal benefits, retirement and…
Read More...President Joe Biden recently said Congress approved his plan to “forgive” student loan debt. While talking with a group of young people at the White House during an on-camera interview published Sunday by NowThis News, Biden said he had “just signed a law” that would forgive $ 20,000 in student debt for Pell Grant recipients and $ 10,000 for all borrowers earning less than $ 125,000 a year. “It’s passed. I got it passed by a vote or two, and it’s in effect,” Biden said. Actually, Biden used executive action…
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