Tag: government

The Sneaky Way Government Unions Rake in Taxpayer Money, and How Congress Can Fight It in Reconciliation

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While public-sector unions file lawsuits to block President Donald Trump’s reforms to the bureaucracy, federal government workers are getting paid by the taxpayer for time they spend doing work for those very same unions. The little-known practice of “official time” allows bureaucrats to bill the taxpayer for hours they spend doing work for the union. Members of Congress have filed bills to ban the practice, but a budget expert suggests that taxing the practice instead might pose a smaller hurdle for getting it through Congress. While most bills face a…

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Purging the Government Could Backfire Spectacularly

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The U.S. federal government manages a larger portfolio of risks than any other institution in the history of the world. In just the past few weeks, wildfires raged across Southern California, a commercial flight crashed over the Potomac, a powerful Chinese-developed AI model launched to great fanfare, the nuclear-weapons Doomsday Clock reached its closest point ever to midnight, a new strain of avian flu continued its spread across the globe, and interest rates on long-term government bonds surged—a sign that investors are worried about America’s fiscal future. The responsibility of…

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Government shutdown is averted just after deadline as Congress rejects Trump’s debt limit demands

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would “meet our obligations” and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day’s outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal…

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One of the most prominent advocates for good government retires

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A long time civil servant, veteran and advocate for civil service itself will hand the baton to new leadership next year. She’s has lead the National Academy of Public Administration longer than anyone, since 2017. And she’s driven several important Academy initiatives. Terry Gerton joined  the Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Interview transcript: Tom Temin And we’ve enjoyed a lot of interviews over the years on something that people may not realize about the Academy, is that it undertakes reports chartered by Congress to look at really problematic issues. And…

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Will the Chevron Decision Fix Big Government?

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The Supreme Court recently ruled to overturn the Chevron doctrine precedent that has stood since 1984. Recent precedent reversals, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade, have gotten much more attention. But this change is of enormous importance, and everyone should know what it’s about. In the 1984 Chevron ruling, an environmental group, the Natural Resources Defense Council, sued to overturn a decision by the Reagan-era Environmental Protection Agency to ease regulation of emissions. The court ruled to uphold the EPA decision, reasoning that, unless the point of dispute…

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