GOP civil service overhaul effort violates reconciliation rules

An attempt from Republicans to remove civil service protections for newly hired federal employees now faces a higher obstacle under GOP reconciliation bill. The Senate parliamentarian on Sunday marked several provisions of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s portion of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” as violations of reconciliation rules. One of those provisions sought to make all new federal employees choose between becoming an at-will employee and taking on a 5% increase in their contribution rate to the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), or keeping their civil service…

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Cuts to civil service protections remain in Senate committee’s reconciliation proposal

Despite taking some proposed cuts to federal benefits off the table, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is still looking to remove civil service job protections for federal employees as part of the GOP reconciliation process. The Senate committee’s proposal for the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” released Thursday, kept three of four key sections impacting the federal workforce that House lawmakers passed last month. HSGAC’s legislative text also made a handful of revisions and added several new provisions not seen in the House’s version. In total, the committee…

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Five years after congressional report, national service recommendations face test

A bipartisan congressional commission released its recommendations to strengthen all forms of service to meet the country’s needs just as COVID shut down the country in 2020. Now, five years later, Congress received an update on progress and unfinished business. Federal News Network’s Terry Gerton spoke with Dr. Joe Heck, the former chair of the Commission on the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin to get his take on how times have changed and why his recommendations still matter. Interview transcript: Joe…

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2 US Service Academies End Minor in Diversity and Inclusion

THE CENTER SQUARE—West Point Military Academy and the Air Force Academy have both ended their “Diversity and Inclusion Studies” minors. As late as Jan. 8, West Point, based in New York, offered its diversity, equity, and inclusion minor, while as of Jan. 9 the Air Force Academy, based in Colorado, still offered its DEI minor, according to internet archives. Currently, a minor in “Diversity and Inclusion Studies” is no longer listed on either service academy’s website. Around the same time the DEI minors disappeared, President Donald Trump ended all DEI…

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Trump defense pick Hegseth flagged by fellow service member as possible ‘Insider Threat’ over tattoo

Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo he has. The Washington Times stories: White House

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Fiscal Service using death data to reduce improper payments

The Bureau of Fiscal Service in the Treasury Department has a stretch goal — help prevent $ 12 billion in improper payments by 2029. Luckily for the bureau, Congress gave it some much needed help to improve its Do Not Pay database. The Fiscal Service now has access to the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File, which contains over 83 million records of deaths that have been reported to SSA. Tim Gribben, the commissioner of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, said Congress gave the agency access on a pilot…

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