Viewpoint: Latest Reports from The Washington Posts ‘Federal Insider’

Here are the latest reports from The Washington Posts ‘Federal Eye’.

House Republicans playing deadly politics with painkillers — so say some Senate Republicans

It was one day after House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s announcement last week that the House would not consider the Senate bill to combat heroin and opioid abuse, a major issue on the 2016 campaign trail. House GOP leaders quickly passed the mic to one of their most vulnerable incumbents, Rep. Bob Dold of Illinois. The Republican […]

Federal hiring, fixed before, needs fixing again

Back in 2010, after the Office of Personnel Management revamped USAJobs, the government’s employment website, John Berry, then the OPM director, said fixing federal hiring “is probably the most important legacy item I will accomplish.” Not to disappoint Berry, but while his legacy remains, the system needs fixing again. Berry, now ambassador to Australia, […]

Two-cent price cut could mean $2 billion headache for Postal Service

Just when the U.S. Postal Service’s financial picture was beginning to look a little less bleak, here comes news that is both good and bad. Prices dropped Sunday — good news for those now paying 47 cents, instead of 49 cents, to mail a card or letter. But that two cents worth of good news […]

‘Inadvertent’ cyber breach hits 44,000 FDIC customers

In yet another example of fragile security in federal cyber systems,  data for 44,000 Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. customers was breached by an employee leaving the agency. The breach occurred in February and was outlined in an internal FDIC memorandum obtained by The Washington Post. The March 18 memo from Lawrence Gross Jr., FDIC’s chief […]

IRS service dramatically improves to mediocre

If you’re among the nearly one-third of U.S. taxpayers who can’t get their calls answered by the nation’s tax collector, reports of improved assistance by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) won’t mean much. But when the agency’s 70 percent telephone answer rate for this filing season is compared to its 38 percent rate for the last […]

How weak badge security puts federal facilities at risk

Getting into a federal government building is no easy task, thanks to terrorists — domestic, foreign, real and potential. Security officers check your bags, your identification and your body if necessary, before you meet an employee who escorts you everywhere, even to the restroom. Of course, employees and regular contractors have an easier time. Often […]

Long-term care premiums for federal employees set to rise

Premiums in the long-term care insurance program for federal employees and retirees are expected to increase later this year for most enrollees, the government has said, but exactly when and by how much is yet to be determined. The Office of Personnel Management on Tuesday awarded a new seven-year contract to the John Hancock Life […]

After the mud wrestling, candidates must prepare to govern

After the sometimes disgraceful Republican presidential primary season is done, Uncle Sam can shower and perhaps the remaining candidates will finally turn their attention to how they would govern. Wiser heads have been trying to draw attention to this for months. They’ve been all but ignored while the political mud wrestling, led by Republican mogul Donald […]

VA formally proposes new limits on appeals rights for its executives

Senior executives at the Department of Veterans Affairs overseeing health care programs could appeal disciplinary actions against them only through internal department channels, under a formal proposal the department has sent to Congress. While other VA executives still could bring appeals to the Merit Systems Protection Board, that adjudicatory agency would have to give more […]

Three years is too long for administrative leave

The use and misuse of paid administrative leave in federal agencies is getting increased attention because of cases such as these at the Department of Homeland Security: — A federal law enforcement officer was on leave for more than three years while being investigated on allegations of criminal and administrative misconduct. He was paid $455,000 […]

Defense Department begins new employee performance rating system

The Defense Department on Friday will begin another overhaul of how it evaluates its civilian federal employees, this time with the support of employee unions whose opposition doomed the previous program. The first stage of the new Defense Performance Management and Appraisal Program involves about 15,000 employees at a dozen relatively small components and headquarters […]

Federal employee health program to boost autism benefits Federal employee health-care plans will have to cover applied behavior analysis for children on the autism spectrum starting next year, and they are being encouraged to step up the incentives for enrollees to participate in wellness programs. The Office of Personnel Management since 2013 has encouraged carriers in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to […]

DEA drug fighting plane doesn’t fly, but costs soar

The boondoggle of the week award goes to the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Defense Department. They joined forces to combat illegal drugs in Afghanistan, but ended up with an expensive plane that, like their grand plans, won’t fly. But the cost has soared. The plan was for DOD to modify a DEA plane to […]

Border Patrol agents union endorses Trump

The union representing 16,500 Border Patrol agents has endorsed businessman Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. “Mr. Trump will take on special interests and embrace the ideas of rank-and-file Border Patrol agents rather than listening to the management yes-men who say whatever they are programmed to say. This is a refreshing change that we […]

Weak IRS controls leave taxpayer data vulnerable, report says

Just in time for tax season, the Government Accountability Office is warning that weak financial controls at the Internal Revenue Service leave taxpayer information at risk. In a report released Monday to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, the GAO noted the agency’s progress in information security but said “weaknesses in the controls limited their effectiveness in […]

Obama unveils anti-heroin strategy

President Obama is traveling to Atlanta today in a high-profile effort to combat the epidemic of heroin addiction and prescription-drug abuse. He will use his appearance before the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit to demonstrate the priority this has for his administration and to push his $1.1 billion proposal to fight the epidemic. During […]

Clinton, Sanders respond to union questions ignored by GOP hopefuls

Ignoring a group of voters is no way to win their support. But ignoring is what the Republican presidential hopefuls have done to a federal union, and by extension to federal employees, by refusing to answer a campaign questionnaire. In December, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) sent a dozen questions to […]

Medicaid driving up Obamacare costs; IRS fast facts; and Emily’s list spending big against a progressive Dem

BUDGET SCOREKEEPER SEES SPIKE IN MEDICAID ENROLLMENT. The cost of the Affordable Care Act is expected to climb this year as a result of more people enrolling in Medicaid but the overall cost of the program is still less than scorekeepers estimated in the early days of the legislation. A new report released Thursday by the […]

FBI testing a way to crack San Bernardino iPhone; Google lobbies Congress on car issues; chatbot hobbled by racist, sexist comments

WHAT’S THE FBI UP TO? Speculation is building over what the FBI meant when it said it might not need help from Apple to crack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone. As our colleagues Ellen Nakashima and Elizabeth Dwoskin report, “FBI Director James B. Comey seemed to reject one popular proposal that has taken off online […]

Did FDA remove scientist’s name from article and invention in retaliation?

Retaliation against workers in federal agencies takes a variety of forms – dismissal and demotion among the most feared. For Dougbeh Chris Nyan, it was denial. He has accused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of denying his professional contributions to a scientific research paper and the development of a medical test. Nyan, an infectious […]

New rule limiting silica dust exposure makes business gag

Reaction to a controversial new Obama administration regulation designed to protect workers from toxic dust particles demonstrates the divide that often develops between government and business, and a focus on health or a focus on cost. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says the rule limiting exposure to the dust, known as respirable crystalline […]

Watch out for tax scammers who have more time to take your money

‘Tis the season for the scammers. It’s bad enough that Uncle Sam demands a cut of your pay by April 18 (more on that date later), but cheaters are using his name to get your money too. We have extra days to file this year, but that gives tricksters more time to pick your pocket. […]

Military members have twice the bill collector complaints

Members of the military submit debt collector complaints at twice the rate of civilians, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The agency is charged with monitoring complaints from those in the military. Debt collection, mortgages and credit reporting were subject of most complaints, according to a CFPB report released Tuesday. “Those who serve, […]

Most Senate cafeteria workers were mistreated on wages, top Capitol official says

A majority of the roughly 90 blue-collar restaurant workers serving the U.S. Senate were improperly classified by their private employer, a top U.S. Capitol administrator told a congressional committee last week, putting them at risk of being underpaid and prompting a Labor Department inquiry into the matter. The workers employed by Restaurant Associates have sought […]

Want to meet Rosie the Riveter? Thirty of them are on Capitol Hill today.

If you see a group of elderly women in red Tuesday on Capitol Hill, you’ve seen the original “Rosie the Riveters.” About 30 women who assisted in the war effort during World War II stopped by the Capitol building Tuesday. The women are on a trip to Washington from Detroit organized to recognize their service. […]

Scaffolding at the Capitol coming down after nearly two years

It’s springtime in D.C., and the scaffolding on the Capitol dome is finally coming down. That’s cause for celebration on Capitol Hill, where visitors and staff have spent nearly two years looking at an unsightly version of one of Washington’s most beautiful buildings. The scaffolding — all 1.1 million pounds of it — was erected […]

The color of heroin addiction — why war then, treatment now?

The nation’s heroin epidemic found its way from the shadows of America to Capitol Hill on Tuesday as lawmakers and experts struggled with a raging disease that is leaving an increasing number of bodies behind. Heroin deaths have almost tripled since 2010, Louis J. Milione, a Drug Enforcement Administration deputy assistant administrator, told the House […]

GOP congressmen say unions threaten cybersecurity

Would a labor union undermine the cybersecurity of its members? Of course not, you say. But House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) think otherwise. Further widening the divide between representatives of the federal workforce and Republicans in Congress, they recently published an op-ed in The Washington […]

Broad probe of federal employees gets specific with names

With a flurry of letters to a variety of federal agencies, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has launched a broad investigation into the federal workforce. The letters, sent over the past few weeks by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), contain no accusations of wrongdoing but are heavy with implication. One set of letters to […]

Report of 10,000 severe workplace injuries might be only half the problem

Next time you order sliced turkey or ham at a supermarket or restaurant, make sure you also don’t get the butcher’s fingertip. Shortly after a federal rule requiring employers to report severe work related injuries, Labor Department staffers in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Atlanta office noticed a disturbing and surprising trend – […]

U.S. mail service to Cuba resumes

Days before Monday’s groundbreaking trip to Cuba by President Obama and Michelle Obama, mail service has  resumed between the U.S. and the island nation. Now they will be able to send a postcard home. “The U.S. Postal Service is pleased to participate in the historic direct transportation of mail service with Cuba,” said Postmaster General Megan […]

Climate change warms boring budget hearing

Fortunately the House hearing was not what it might have been. The Republican committee chairman had subpoenaed agency documents. The Obama administration official at the witness table has not provided everything the chairman wants. In too many cases, that would have generated a highly partisan session where real governing was shortchanged. Instead, the House Science, […]

Green Cards sent to wrong places, even after change of address requests

A green card is like a green light for foreigners living in the United States. Officially called permanent resident cards, they authorize holders to live and work here. Given the millions of people who reside here illegally, the documents are a valuable commodity among those who can’t get them through proper channels. So when the government […]

Metro closing gives Uncle Sam a pain

Shutting Metrorail is a big pain in Uncle Sam’s … Without the people who work in the federal government or are in some way related to the federal government or sightseers who visit government facilities there would be no Metro. The decision to close the entire the subway system all day Wednesday for safety inspections […]

For federal employees, House budget plan could have familiar look

A budget plan unveiled Tuesday by House Republicans is largely silent on federal employee pay and benefits, but the details to come could tell a familiar story. A spending outline to be considered by the House Budget Committee on Wednesday “is very short on specifics but I don’t think we’re off the hook yet,” said National […]

Who are the voters in Tuesday’s five primary states?

Voters in five states can determine on Tuesday which presidential candidates will continue to run and which ones might decide they have run out of time. The primary season now turns to voters in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. But who are they? The Census Bureau helps us answer that question with a […]