Tag: staff

Dysfunction in Congress spoils the work life of congressional staff

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Few workforces have been studied and dissected as much as that of the two million-strong executive branch of the federal government. There’s another smaller, if no less crucial workforce. It belongs to Congress. The latest research shows wide-and-deep dissatisfaction among congressional staff members. For details, the Federal Drive Host Tom Temin spoke with the President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, Brad Fitch. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And you have surveyed members of the congressional staff. What is it? About 30,000 plus or minus. Tell us about the survey…

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Senate confirms first woman to serve on Joint Chiefs of Staff

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A Department of Veterans Affairs office that investigates whistleblower retaliation cases said VA leadership is acting on more of its recommendations. When the VA’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection (OAWP) recommended discipline in whistleblower retaliation cases, management took action 68% of the time in fiscal 2021. That is now up to 92% percent. But House lawmakers said VA employees can take their complaints to the Office of Special Counsel and see better results. “I’m still left wondering if OAWP’s juice is worth the squeeze,” said Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.),…

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Who should staff the arsenal of democracy, feds or contractors?

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The war between Russia and Ukraine has provoked a debate here in the U.S. Who should rebuild the Defense Department supplies shipments to Ukraine have drawn down? Specifically, should it be expanded contracting with industry or a buildup of what’s known as the government’s organic industrial base? Or should the government enlist industry to make up the shortfall? The question in some ways forms a proxy for wider questions of who should do what. On the specific weapons question, though, DoD in reality is working on a variety of ways…

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VA makes ‘full court press’ on recruiting, retaining staff with new workforce incentives

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The Department of Veterans Affairs, facing an increased workload as more veterans seek VA health care and benefits,  is prepared to significantly staff up under the Biden administration’s fiscal 2024 budget request. The VA in its fiscal 2024 budget request is looking to grow its workforce to 453,834 employees — a more than 4.5% increase from current staffing levels. Since 2019, the VA has added the equivalent of more than 78,000 full-time employees. The Biden administration is proposing a $ 351.1 billion total budget for VA in 2024 —  more…

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IRS plans to hire staff to tackle backlog faster, but struggles on competitive pay

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The IRS expects new hiring authority will allow it to bring new employees onboard within 40 to 45 days, rather than several months, to deal with a major backlog of tax returns and correspondence. The agency received direct hire authority from Congress in the fiscal 2022 spending bill that President Joe Biden signed into law this week. That spending bill also gave the IRS its highest budget in decades. IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said this hiring flexibility, combined with the agency receiving a lighter paper-based workload this filing season, puts…

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