Wednesday federal headlines – May 20, 2015

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.

  • A bill approved by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee would let inspectors general subpoena former federal employees and federal contractors. That power would be available in cases of waste or fraud greater than $100,000, or when IGs suspect criminal activity. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) wanted to make sure the bill contains safeguards against abuse of the subpoena power. The bill requires IGs to obtain permission from the Council of the Inspectors General in order to issue a subpoena to someone who is not a federal employee. The attorney general would have 10 days to block the IG’s request. The bill now heads to the full House. (Federal News Radio)
  • Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced a bill to create a new Thrift Savings Plan fund. It would consist of stocks in companies that demonstrate strong commitment to retaining and promoting female employees. Beyer cited a study by market analysis firm Catalyst. It showed women hold fewer than 20 percent of the board seats of U.S. companies listed by Standard and Poor. He says research shows companies with more employee diversity do better financially. At their monthly meeting, Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board members say they want to add educational and advisory services to the TSP. Chairman Greg Long said the TSP now is oriented mainly toward transactions. (Federal News Radio/Rep. Don Beyer)
  • The Senate passes a bill to clarify how Border Patrol agents get paid. The bill gives Homeland Security a deadline to implement a new pay scale and overtime system for agents. Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) introduced the bill and the House passed it last week. The legislation comes after DHS said it won’t pay overtime to the agents. The Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act became law last December. DHS said a provision in the law doesn’t let it pay overtime. The bill now goes to the president’s desk. (Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee )
  • For most agencies, the year-end mantra runs like this: spend it or lose it. A new Senate bill aims to change that dynamic. It would let inspectors general pay bonuses of up to $10,000 to federal employees who report surplus and unneeded funds. The Bonuses for Cost-Cutters Act is backed by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Paul said the bill would help reduce the federal deficit and reverse the trend toward agency bloat. (Federal News Radio )
  • UPS will pay the government $25 million for violating the False Claims Act. The Justice Department said UPS recorded inaccurate delivery times. That was to cover up delays, especially for Next-Day delivery packages. The company does delivery services for agencies through contracts with the General Services Administration and Defense Department. DOJ said UPS would put false exceptions on packages, like “customer not in” or “business closed.” That prevents federal customers from getting refunds for delayed package deliveries. (Justice Dept.)
  • The White House says a House spending bill is short-changing law enforcement. The Washington Post reports the House Appropriations Committee is expected to pass the bill today. It provides $51.4 billion in total spending for commerce, science and justice agencies. But that’s $661 million less than President Obama’s request. Obama wants more funds, to help foster trust between police and communities, and to test and implement body-worn cameras. The request comes after unrest in several U.S. cities, including Baltimore and Ferguson, Mo. OMB Director Shaun Donovan said the House bill doesn’t adequately fund all the necessary elements to improve police-citizen relations. (Washington Post)
  • The Senate will vote on a bill to change bulk data collection by the National Security Agency. Congress is scrambling to pass legislation before the Patriot Act expires on June first. The USA Freedom Act requires the NSA to get court authorization before collecting metadata from phone companies. The House passed it last week on a vote of 338 to 88. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he opposes the act and prefers to renew the Patriot Act. But he says he’ll allow a vote on the measure. (Federal News Radio)
  • U.S. forces helping in the battle against ISIS have a growing problem: ISIS propaganda spread by social media. Defense News reports that in one instance ISIS put out a rumor that it was being resupplied by the United States. So convincing was the rumor, even a top Iranian general believed them. The result was friendly fire shots aimed at a U.S. helicopter. Brig. Gen. Kurt Crytzer, deputy commander for Special Operations Command Central, relayed the story at a conference. Crytzer said the U.S. military has no effective means to counter the propaganda ISIS spreads on Twitter and Facebook. He said U.S. forces consistently struggle in the information operations realm. (Defense News)

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