Members of Congress want State Dept to go to bat for LGBTQ diplomats

<p><em>To listen to the Federal Newscast on your phone or mobile device, subscribe in <a href=”https://www.podcastone.com/federal-newstalk?showAllEpisodes=true”>PodcastOne</a> or <a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/federal-newscast/id1053077930?mt=2″>Apple Podcasts</a>. The best listening experience on desktop can be found using Chrome, Firefox or Safari.</em></p> <ul> <li>Many political appointees, along with the vice president, can expect a freeze on their salaries to continue through at least the end of 2022. The <a href=”https://www.chcoc.gov/content/continued-pay-freeze-certain-senior-political-officials-6″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Office of Personnel Management</a> released details that the impacted groups are paid at or above the level for Executive Schedule IV. That includes employees serving in Executive Schedule positions and…

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An impending long recess will force a lot of action in Congress this week

<p><em>Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on </em><a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/federal-drive-with-tom-temin/id1270799277?mt=2″><i>Apple Podcasts</i></a><em> or <a href=”https://www.podcastone.com/federal-drive-with-tom-temin?pid=1753589″>PodcastOne</a>.</em></p> <p>From a supreme court confirmation vote to Russian misbehavior, the House and Senate have a lot to do in the coming week. And there&#8217;s considerable time pressure to get it done. The <a href=”https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/temin/tom-temin-federal-drive/”><em><strong>Federal Drive with Tom Temin</strong></em></a> got the outlook from Bloomberg Government deputy news director, Loren Duggan.</p> <p><em>Interview transcript:</em></p> <blockquote><p><strong>Tom Temin: </strong>Loren, let&#8217;s start with,well, let&#8217;s start with a schedule that&#8217;s kind of forcing the hand of Congress…

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Biden’s USPS board nominees plan to oversee reforms envisioned by Congress

President Joe Biden’s latest nominees to serve on the Postal Service’s Board of Governors are planning to oversee sweeping reforms at the agency, if confirmed. Dan Tangherlini, the former head of the General Services Administration, and Derek Kan, a former deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee they would take a closer look at some lawmakers’ top priorities at the agency. Those priorities include electric vehicles and the agency’s next-generation vehicle fleet, a data dashboard meant to track USPS…

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Intelligence community whistleblowers finally get a little help, from Congress

<p><em>Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on </em><a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/federal-drive-with-tom-temin/id1270799277?mt=2″><i>Apple Podcasts</i></a><em> or <a href=”https://www.podcastone.com/federal-drive-with-tom-temin?pid=1753589″>PodcastOne</a>.</em></p> <p>Whistleblowers across the government have gotten increasingly more support and protection over the years. Except for those in the secretive intelligence community. They have no independent enforcement mechanisms for the protections they do have. Joining the <a href=”https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/temin/tom-temin-federal-drive/”><em><strong>Federal Drive with Tom Temin</strong></em></a> with how things are about to change, the policy counsel at the Project on Government Oversight, Melissa Wasser.</p> <p><em>Interview transcript:</em></p> <blockquote><p><strong>Tom Temin:</strong> Ms. Wasser, good to have you on.</p>…

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It’s a weird time in Congress with a war going on in Europe

<p>Besides the omnibus budget package, Congress is dealing with a few other issues this week, like postal reform. But it&#8217;s a short week, as the <em><strong><a href=”https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/temin/tom-temin-federal-drive/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>Federal Drive</a> with Tom Temin</strong> </em>learned from Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan.</p> <blockquote><p><strong>Tom Temin: </strong>Loren, the omnibus packages that are coming forth to be voted on sometime during this week, presumably to get to the President&#8217;s desk, they have to finish those votes this week before they go on recess. So tell us what the schedule for that would look…

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DoD sends Congress nearly triple the amount of annual reports it did 20 years ago

<p><em>Best listening experience is on Chrome, Firefox or Safari. Subscribe to Federal Drive’s daily audio interviews on <a href=”https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/federal-drive-with-tom-temin/id1270799277?mt=2″>Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href=”https://www.podcastone.com/federal-drive-with-tom-temin?pid=1753589″>PodcastOne</a>.</em></p> <p>In 20 years, the number of annual reports the Defense Department must make to Congress has nearly tripled to more than 1,400. DoD officials have tried to get a handle on this task, which required untold thousands of man-hours. For what it could do to help streamline the process, the <a href=”https://federalnewsnetwork.com/category/temin/tom-temin-federal-drive/”><em><strong>Federal Drive with Tom Temin</strong></em></a> turned to the director of defense capabilities and management issues at the Government…

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