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Esper announces Fourth Estate review
In a rare press conference, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said a “defense-wide review process” has begun to evaluate the Fourth Estate agency resources.
People
Dems push back on BLM relocation plan
Two senior lawmakers want the Bureau of Land Management to halt its plan to relocate its headquarters to Grand Junction, Colorado.
People
Despite verdict, workforce orders still on hold
A federal court is maintaining an injunction on the full implementation of three Trump administration executive orders pertaining to the workforce and collective bargaining pending appeals.
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USDA IG says relocation plans may violate laws
An oversight report states that the Department of Agriculture may have skirted appropriations laws in its push to move two research agencies from Washington, D.C. to the Kansas City region.
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Auditors want VA to better track VistA costs
What is an electronic health records system? A GAO audit found VA officials are still struggling with that question when it comes to their 30-year-old legacy system.
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Shifting culture is the best way to reignite public-sector innovation
Agencies that embrace transparency, collaboration and meritocracy as foundational values will have more success adapting to a fast-moving and increasingly ambiguous future.
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Senate confirms Esper as new Defense secretary
With conflict increasing between the U.S. and Iran, Mark Esper's confirmation brings some order to a seven-month round of musical chairs among the Defense Department's top leadership.
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How shared services providers can power DATA Act reporting
Federal agencies have generally positive experiences working with shared service providers to report spending data, according to a new government watchdog study.
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Connolly looks to block OPM merger in NDAA
Rep. Gerry Connolly is taking his push to block the planned merger of OPM and GSA to the must-pass annual defense bill.
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Lawmakers look to NDAA for health record push
Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee want to use the must-pass 2020 defense authorization bill to advance interoperability and joint management of the electronic health records systems at the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
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House Dems welcome watchdog probe of FBI building
The Department of Justice Inspector General is launching a probe into the decision to scuttle a longstanding plan to move FBI headquarters to a suburban location and allow commercial development on the current downtown site.
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New law brings big change to IRS in IT, cyber
A new law will implement a raft of technology and cybersecurity reforms at the IRS while also restoring hiring authorities that officials say are key to attracting qualified IT talent.
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Lawmaker worried about DOD leadership shuffle
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) worries U.S. defenses in space could be at risk due to lack of permanent leadership at the Pentagon.
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House approves measure to block OPM furloughs
An appropriations bill passed in the House includes multiple provisions to prevent OPM and GSA from merging and blocks any reduction in force arising from a budget gap at the human resources agency.
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Connolly amendment would block OPM layoffs
The chairman of the Government Operations subcommittee is looking to check an administration warning of layoffs at the Office of Personnel Management in the event that a merger with the General Services Administration can't move forward.
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Senate panel advances third MSPB nominee
The Merit System Protection Board is getting closer to having a quorum of confirmed officials in place to begin chipping away at its backlog of more than 2,000 appeals.
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Senate panel passes law to prevent shutdowns as spending crisis looms
While Democrats and the White House fight over spending caps, some lawmakers are looking for ways to make a shutdown more painful for leaders in the executive branch and on Capitol Hill.
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Shanahan out as Pentagon chief; Army Secretary Esper takes over top job
In a tweet, President Donald Trump announced that acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan was resigning and withdrawing his name from consideration to hold the top Pentagon job on an acting basis. Trump announced that Army Secretary Mark Esper is taking over as acting defense secretary.
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No merger, but a long to-do list for OPM from the House
House Appropriators want the Office of Personnel Management to improve on its core duties including retirement processing without support from a planned merger with the General Services Administration.
People