federal | Voter.org

MoveOn Executive Director Rahna Epting on Federal Student Loan Cancellation

August 26, 2022 executive, federal, student, loan, MoveOn, Rahna, Epting, Cancellation, director0 comment

Washington, D.C. – In response to President Biden’s student debt relief plan, MoveOn Executive Director Rahna Epting issued the following statement: “President Biden’s executive order, canceling $ 10,000 in federal student debt for most borrowers, canceling $ 20,000 in loans for Pell Grant recipients, reforming income-based repayment plans to benefit borrowers, and extending the payment pause until the end of the year, marks the biggest and boldest action a president has ever taken to provide student debt relief to struggling families. “The executive order will give millions of people relief…

Five federal workforce items on Congress’ to-do list

August 18, 2022 Congress, Five, federal, list, Items, workforce, ToDo0 comment

With the end of fiscal year 2022 approaching and a Sept. 30 deadline, Congress still has a lot on its plate to avoid a continuing resolution (CR), or potentially a government shutdown. Although some lawmakers have said a CR is already nearly inevitable, there are several key components on Congress’ to-do list when the House and Senate return from the August recess. Appropriations bills So far, the House passed six of its 12 spending bills for fiscal 2023 on July 20. Senate Democrats also released draft legislation for the 12…

Senate committee calls on VA, DOJ to improve accessibility to federal technology

August 10, 2022 accessibility, Senate, calls, federal, Committee, technology, improve0 comment

Senate lawmakers are pushing the departments of Justice and Veterans Affairs, along with all agencies, to improve the accessibility of their online services. The Senate Special Committee on Aging looked into the accessibility of federal technology, specifically for seniors and individuals with disabilities, as well as older and disabled veterans. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), the committee’s chairman, said accessing digital services became a more prevalent concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, after accelerating a long-term shift in delivering government services through virtual, rather than physical, platforms. The acceleration of digital services…

New bill would abolish MSPB, create ‘at-will’ federal employees

July 29, 2022 employees, abolish, MSPB, ‘atwill’, would, Create, federal, Bill0 comment

Republican lawmakers are once again making a push that would allow the government to fire bureaucrats more easily. For the third time since 2016, members of the House introduced a bill to make all federal employees “at-will” workers. That means agencies would be able to more quickly remove employees for underperforming or behaving in a manner that goes against federal rules. “My bill would make all federal bureaucrats at-will employees — just like private sector workers — and claw back the inordinate protections some federal employees grossly abuse while helping…

What the House appropriations bill means for a federal pay raise

June 27, 2022 House, federal, Bill, Means, Appropriations, raise0 comment

House appropriators have aligned with President Joe Biden’s proposed 4.6% federal pay raise. The fiscal 2023 financial services and general government bill, which the House Appropriations Committee advanced on June 24 in a vote of 31 to 22, makes no mention of the pay raise proposal for federal employees. Similar to their silence last year, House appropriators’ lack of comment on the federal pay raise essentially endorses the White House’s 4.6% proposal from March’s budget request. In 2022, federal employees received a pay raise of 2.7% on average. Military service…

Federal workers injured on the job may soon have more treatment options

June 11, 2022 more, Options, federal, workers, soon, treatment, injured0 comment

<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>Federal workers who get injured on the job may soon have better access to workers’ compensation. The House <a href=”https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022233″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>passes legislation</a> that would expand federal employees’ choice of medical providers. The act would cover the cost of medical care for injured federal workers who seek treatment from physician assistants and nurse practitioners. The current law limits…