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Thursday federal headlines – January 15, 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...

Federal News Network Staff

January 15, 2015 8:02 am

6 min read

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.

Federal employees now get six weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a new child. President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum and introduced the Healthy Families Act. Federal employees already have paid sick leave and vacation, but didn’t get specific paid parental leave. Now they will. (Federal News Radio)
Dan Tangherlini is leaving the General Services Administration. He’s been the GSA administrator for the past three years. Deputy Administrator Denise Turner Roth will be the acting administrator until President Barack Obama finds a replacement. Tangherlini’s last day is Feb. 13. (Federal News Radio)
Google is joining the Pricewaterhouse Coopers team that’s competing for an $11 billion health records contract with the Defense Department. Federal Computer Week reports, Google is joining General Dynamics IT and two other health records vendors for the bid. PWC is offering an open source solution based on a version of the Vista health records system. (FCW)
The FBI arrested a man who was plotting to blow up the Capitol building and kill government officials. Christopher Lee Cornell, also known as Raheel Ubaydah, was arrested after buying two semi-automatic rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition. A criminal complaint charged him with attempting to kill officers and employees. The bureau started an undercover investigation when it found Cornell posting Tweets sympathizing with Islamic terrorists. Cornell showed the FBI his plans for bombing the Capitol and shooting people. He also expressed support for the Islamic State group. (Federal News Radio )
Four of the highest-ranking Secret Service executives have been axed. The move comes after a series of high-profile security mishaps and a tough report about agency leadership. An independent panel said last month the Secret Service is insular and starved for leadership. Acting Director Joseph Clancy announced the changes. Gone are Dale Pupillo, who led operations, Paul Morrissey, who was in charge of investigations, Mark Copanzzi, head of technology and mission support and Jane Murphy, chief of government and public affairs. Clancy said the executives will be reassigned somewhere within the Homeland Security Department. Sources told the Washington Post, they also have the option to resign or retire. (Federal News Radio)
A Veterans Affairs hospital in Wisconsin earned the nickname “Candy Land” because it prescribed so many narcotic painkillers. Patients on painkillers and muscle relaxants often dozed off or drooled during therapy sessions. The Center for Investigative Reporting said veterans refered to the hospital’s chief of staff as “The Candy Man.” Data showed the number of opiate prescriptions at the hospital increased five-fold between 2004 and 2012. And the number of pills increased from 50,000 to 700,000. One veteran died last year from an overdose in the inpatient ward. (Center for Investigative Reporting)
The contractor at the center of a Navy bribery scandal wanted to change his plea. Prosecutors alleged Leonard Glenn Francis used illegal information to overbill the Navy by at least $20 million. Francis worked as a contractor for Glenn Defense Marine Asia, a company that has provided fuel, food and supplies to Navy ships for 25 years. Prosecutors said he paid for plane tickets, hotels and prostitutes for Navy officials who helped him. Francis pleaded not guilty to conspiracy in the bribery case. (Federal News Radio)
President Barack Obama wants federal employees to have paid leave to care for a new child. He plans to propose legislation today that gives feds six weeks of paid leave for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. Federal employees already receive paid sick leave and vacation, but they don’t have paid time specifically for parental leave. Under the proposal, feds could also use up to six weeks of sick leave to care for a new child. (LinkedIn)
The House passed a bill to fund the Homeland Security Department through the end of the fiscal year. The measure gives the agency nearly $40 billion, a $400 million increase over last year. It provides funds for 21,000 border patrol agents, a record high for the agency. But it defunds some parts of President Barack Obama’s immigration actions. If the Senate passes the measure, the President will decide whether to sign or veto the bill. (Federal Times)
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warned employees to prepare for a possible, temporary agency shutdown. He send an email with the heading, Budget Update, Tough Choices. Koskinen said furloughs might be necessary to deal with a sharp budget cut Congress imposed for 2015. Furloughs could last two days. Koskinen said he’s also likely to forbid overtime, and cut the hours of temporary employees. At $10.9 billion, the IRS is getting $346 million less than last year. Koskinen said fewer audits and enforcement actions will cost the government $2 billion in tax collections. A hiring freeze will cause the IRS to lose 1,800 tax enforcement personnel through attrition by October. (Federal News Radio)
Taxpayers are likely to receive the worst service this filing season since the IRS began measuring it 15 years ago. That’s according to National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson. She said IRS has been slammed by budget cuts, poor oversight and failure of Congress to enact a taxpayers bill of rights. In her 2014 annual report to Congress, Olson said the combination of these factors threatened to reshape tax administration in ways that are not positive. Olson said taxpayers who need help are not getting it. She added, any funding increases should be accompanied by strict accountability. (Taxpayer Advocate)
The White House appointed a referee for federal websites. The General Services Administration will have the authority to approve any new dot-gov sites. That authority will sit in the GSA’s office of governmentwide policy. The administration has been concerned about the growth in dot-gov sites. Back in 2011, it counted 2,000 dot-gov domains. A recent GSA count listed about 1,300. Acting federal chief information officer Lisa Schlosser wants more site consolidation of existing sites and slower-going in new ones. She and GSA laid out a series of requirements for any new sites, including compliance with rules for access by people with disabilities. (Federal News Radio)
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel embarked on a domestic farewell trip. His first stop was Whiteman Air Force Base, home to the nuclear 509th Bomb Wing. It’s home to the B-2 stealth bomber. Hagel quipped that his own infantry service in Vietnam occurred while dinosaurs roamed the earth. Hagel told the airmen his military experience did as much to shape him as anything he’s done. Hagel promised increased funds for military modernization, including the nuclear forces. Hagel is set to retire as soon as his successor is confirmed by the Senate. Nomination hearings for former deputy secretary Ashton Carter are likely to take place in February. (DoD)