February 23, 2017

Senators: OPM needs to advise DoD on hiring freeze exemptions

In today’s Top Federal Headlines, a bipartisan group of Senators want the Office of Personnel Management to work with the Defense Department to clarify what positions are exempt from the hiring freeze.

  • A group of nine senators say the Office of Personnel Management needs to work with the Defense Department to clarify exemptions from the hiring freeze for positions at military depots, shipyards and arsenals. They wrote to Acting OPM Director Kathleen McGettigan, saying military service secretaries issuing exemptions on a job-by-job basis violates a section in the US Code. (Sen. Johnny Isakson)
  • The head of the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Service has tried to calm concerns about management and oversight at 18F. Rob Cook, the commissioner of TTS, said most, if not all, of the six recommendations GSA’s inspector general made in the recent critical report on the digital services organization are being implemented. Cooks said 18F has been taking a smarter approach over the last few months, which includes trying to change barriers to digital services instead of disregarding them.
  • The White House’s Chief Digital Officer has left his position after less than one month on the job. Sources tell Federal News Radio that Gerrit Lansing quietly stepped down from his role in mid-February. Competing media reports claim it was a business conflict of interest or an incomplete background check. Lansing is a former Capitol Hill employee and chief digital officer for the Republican National Committee. (Federal News Radio)
  • DHS has called for a redo on its big contract vehicle for agile. The eight unsuccessful bidders for the Homeland Security Department mega contract for agile services are getting a second chance. DHS is reopening the $1.5 billion FLASH contract. DHS awarded FLASH to 13 companies in November. But the eight vendors who didn’t make the cut submitted protests to the Government Accountability Office. DHS decided to take corrective action instead of letting GAO decide the protests. DHS said it will make a new decision by February 28. (FedBizOpps)
  • One congressman wants the Veterans Affairs Department to submit a full report to Congress detailing the roles, responsibilities and accountability elements for leaders and employees at VA. Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) introduced the VA Management Alignment Act. It’s similar to recommendations made by the VA Commission on Care in its report last year. The report can also include suggestions for legislation. (Congress.gov)
  • Defense Secretary James Mattis is starting new programs in the Pentagon. 
    The Defense Department is undertaking a new initiative to cut duplication and waste in the military services. The department’s creating diverse teams of people with different background and occupations to find overlapping programs in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Congress mandated DoD to create the teams in the 2017 Defense Authorization Act. The deputy defense secretary is tasked with presenting the teams’ results during budget planning for 2019. The teams will focus on savings in military bases and other places in the department. (Federal News Radio)
  • President Donald Trump has taken aim at the federal budget. The president’s remarks come at the East Room swearing-in ceremony for Mick Mulvaney as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Trump called the nation’s finances a mess and vowed to clean them up. He said the budget is out of control, and promised lower deficits while boosting military spending. He promises his administration will introduce its healthcare overhaul sometime during March. (The White House)
  • The government’s space program embraces more partnerships with private companies. NASA is partnering with eight companies to bring some new small spacecraft and launch vehicle technologies to the finish line. The NASA Langley Research Center also begins construction on its new $95 million research lab this week. (NASA)
  • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager Paul Wiedefeld has announced a new partnership with the General Services Administration. Metro will begin purchasing its electricity through GSA’s current energy contract. The deal is expected to save Metro more than $1 million per year. The transit authority is also undertaking an energy audit to reduce energy costs. (WMATA)

By:  Eric White