Tag: Congress

Amid safety concerns, AFGE urges Congress to increase Bureau of Prisons funding

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Union officials are urging Congress to provide more funding to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. BOP has spent years struggling with staff attrition, and safety and security issues. The American Federation of Government Employees said the fiscal 2024 budget for BOP, as part of the recent government funding deal, would only worsen the agency’s current 40% staffing shortage. And AFGE warned that a 38% cut to funding for facility maintenance would make federal prisons more dangerous environments for both employees and inmates. (BOP needs more funding, not Less, to address…

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What will happen now that Congress bought itself a week or two on the budget?

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It is not what contractors or most federal employees wanted, but Congress did manage to avoid a partial government shutdown last week. They only pushed the deadline out a week or two, in order to buy time to consider budget bills. For the outlook on the week ahead, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan. Interview Transcript:   Tom Temin  And, Loren, before all of this, of course, we have been going back and forth with the fact that the bills are out…

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Congress can’t be too concerned about the state of affairs

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Russian brutality on parade once again. No end in sight for the Middle East conflict. No federal 2024 budget and the border crisis rolls on. What a great time for Congress to take a recess. For an up-close look at what Congress has done, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government deputy news director Loren Duggan. Interview Transcript:  Loren Duggan There really is. And there are some key deadlines coming up as soon as next week and the week following that really are going to…

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Congress ponders new discrimination protections for older employees

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A bill in the House would boost protections against discrimination of older workers, protections that were weakened by the Supreme Court back in 2009. It is called the Protecting Older Workers Against Age Discrimination Act (POWADA). For specifics, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin talked with Tully Rinckey attorney Michael Fallings. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin Now, this law applies to everyone in the public and private sectors. This proposed bill. Correct? Michael Fallings Correct. Tom Temin And in your experience, I mean, what types of discrimination occur against older workers…

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Congress has a lot to cram in this week before the House goes on recess.

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Immigration and what to do about the Southern border will occupy Congress this week. Lawmakers hope to actually read the purported bill and maybe get the issue off the dime. For a look ahead on Capitol Hill, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Bloomberg Government Deputy News Director Loren Duggan. Interview Transcript:   Tom Temin  Is it going to be immigration, immigration, immigration this week because the House is on recess after this week? Fair to say? Loren Duggan Well, I think that’s going to be one of the…

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Congress labors to keep the budget deal alive

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The continuing resolution funding the government runs out Friday at 11:59 p.m. So far the spending limits Republicans and Democrats agreed to, a week or so ago, have not translated into bills for full 2024 appropriations. That means neither a long-term continuing resolution nor a shutdown is off the table. For the latest, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with WTOP Capitol Hill correspondent Mitchell Miller. Interview Transcript:    Mitchell Miller Right now things are looking better, but things were not looking good heading into the weekend. But during…

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