Friday federal headlines – November 21, 2014

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com reade...

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows each day. Our headlines are updated twice per day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon — with the latest news affecting federal employees and contractors.

  • The future of the Senior Executive Service is getting a look from a group of former federal managers. The group is designing a blueprint to reform the SES. They want to update the list of skills required to join the SES and make it easier to switch positions within the service. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Justice Department had a record year for money collected in civil and criminal cases. In fiscal 2014, Justice raked in nearly $25 billion, more than three times what it collected the year before. Nearly all of the increase came from settlements with J P Morgan and Citigroup for alleged wrongdoing in the 2008 housing finance crisis. Attorney General Eric Holder said the bulk of civil collections came from whistleblower complaints made under the False Claims Act. (Federal News Radio )
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee gave a thumbs up to something President Obama called for on his first day in office. It passed a bill to make agencies follow a presumption-of-openness policy for federal information. The amendment to the Freedom of Information Act would establish a single portal where citizens could file a FOIA request for any agency. It would also create a governmentwide FOIA officers council. Members would develop recommendations to increase compliance with the FOIA law. In March, the Center for Effective Government found most agencies do a poor job of fulfilling requests for information. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Merit Systems Protection Board is upholding the firing of the director of the Veterans Affairs Alabama health care system. James Talton is one of four senior VA career executives let go under streamlined procedures enacted by Congress. The law requires an administrative judge with the MSPB to rule on appeals within 21 days. Unlike other SES members, VA executives are not entitled to a review by the board itself. The VA fired Talton partly for not taking action against an employee who drove a recovering drug addict to a crack house. Chief Administrative Judge Thomas Lanphear rejected Talton’s argument that staff shortages made it difficult for him to hold employees accountable. (Federal News Radio)
  • At least three federal departments have a role in the immigration actions announced by President Barack Obama. Homeland Security is rolling out three task forces to reorganize border security. DHS will rewrite job descriptions for Enforcement and Removal Officers and review their pay structure. Homeland Security has also been tasked to devise the administrative procedures to carry out the President’s orders. The Justice Department will develop streamlined procedures for immigration courts. And the Labor Department will expand immigration options for crime and trafficking victim visa holders who cooperate with government investigations. (Federal News Radio/White House)
  • Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Islamic State militants present new challenges to the U.S. military. In an interview with CBS This Morning, Hagel called the Islamic State group “an incredibly powerful new threat.” Hagel said the militants are well-trained and organized, strategic, brutal and ruthless. But Hagel did say the military is making good progress. Last week, Hagel and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey told Congress the campaign againt Islamic State militants could be long and difficult. Additional troops are expected to arrive in Iraq in the next few weeks. (Federal News Radio)
  • Top appropriators in Congress are focusing their attention on a longer- term spending bill. Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) chair their Appropriations Committees. They’re working on an omnibus bill that would fund federal agencies through the end of next September. Defense News reports they haven’t discussed a continuing resolution or other short-term measure. Rogers and Mikulski want to have a deal in place by early December. The current funding measure expires Dec. 11. If lawmakers don’t agree on a funding measure by then, the government will shut down. (Defense News)
  • A petition to make Dec. 26 a federal holiday this year came up short. The petition needed 100,000 signatures by Wednesday to prompt a response from the White House, but ewer than 93,000 signed. The day after Christmas falls on a Friday, which would give feds a four-day weekend. A federal employee from Oklahoma started the petition on the White House’s “We the People” site. President Barack Obama will respond to any petition that gets 100,000 signatures within 30 days. The employee said the extra day off could boost morale among federal employees and stimulate the economy by encouraging shopping. (Federal News Radio)
  • Budget Committee chairs want lawmakers to use data to make policy decisions. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) introduced the Evidence- Based Policy-Making Commission Act of 2014. The bill would create a 15-member commission to study how data can evaluate the effectiveness of federal programs. The Census Bureau Director would contract with the National Academy of Public Administration to authorize a commission director. The commission would also look at how to protect the privacy of people who interact with agencies. Ryan said he wants to put the focus on results instead of effort. (House Budget Committee)

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