Thursday federal headlines – November 6, 2014

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.

• House and Senate appropriators are trying to agree on a 12-part omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2015, Bloomberg Government reports. A continuing resolution expires Dec. 11. Negotiations are ongoing between Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), who chair their respective appropriations committees. With the Republicans winning control of the Senate in Tuesday’s elections, the bill might not receive a vote in the lame duck session. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the presumed next Majority Leader, said no decision has been made yet. (Bloomberg Government)
• Employees can start applying for phased retirement today, in theory. Phased retirement allows eligible employees to work part-time while drawing on their retirement benefits and mentoring their co-workers. But it’s unclear if agencies are ready to offer phased retirement yet, GovExec reports. The Office of Personnel Management said agencies have to create their own phased retirement guidance. The Homeland Security Department and Social Security Administration have already told employees they need more time to craft a plan. (GovExec)
• The Office of Personnel Management’s backlog of retirement claims grew for the first time in three months. OPM said it received more than 10,000 new retirement claims in October – nearly 4,000 more than September, and the highest number since February. OPM previously projected it would received 7,800 claims in October. Instead, it processed nearly 9,000 claims last month and now has a backlog of 14,000. The agency expects to receive 7,600 new claims in November, and will process 7,800. (Federal News Radio)
• The fight against Ebola has a long way to go. And now the Obama administration is asking Congress for more than $6 billion for use in Africa and the United States, Bloomberg Government reports. The bulk of the money would be for ongoing efforts, while $1.5 billion would be held back for contingencies. In the U.S., the money would be used to build 50 new Ebola treatment centers and increase monitoring of airline passengers. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the soon-to-be Majority Leader, said Ebola is an immediate concern, but hasn’t committed on the President’s request. (Bloomberg Government)
• Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, warns that the military’s technology gap is closing. He said other countries are modernizing their intelligence and weapons at a much faster rate than the U.S. He added that the Chinese military, in particular, poses a threat to U.S. forces because of its “strategic investments” in developing new technology. Pentagon officials largely blame budget cuts for the shrinking technology gap. They say sequestration makes it difficult to maintain efficient and forward-looking programs. (Department of Defense)
• President Barack Obama said he’ll ask Congress for new war powers to fight Islamic State militants, as well as for $3.2 billion in weapons and intelligence spending. The request comes as an amendment to the $58 billion overseas contingency operations budget for fiscal 2015, Bloomberg Government reports. The added request includes $500 million to train and equip Iraqi and Kurdish forces. The new funding would pay for 12 teams of American military advisors. U.S. operations against ISIS cost about $7.8 million a day, or close to $600 million since they started in August. (Bloomberg Government)
• President Barack Obama told the Veterans Affairs Department to “keep going,” as the agency needs to continue improving services, health care and accountability for veterans. The President met with VA Secretary Robert McDonald and Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson yesterday, asking both to keep making management stronger. Obama said he also wants the agency to cut its disability claims and speed up access to health care. The White House said McDonald also gave the President an update on VA’s plans. (Associated Press)
• The General Services Administration claims a victory in the battle to reduce energy consumption in federal buildings, citing an analysis of 59 buildings that received upgrades paid for with the 2009 stimulus bill. The study shows the buildings require an average of 5.5 percent less electricity. Agency officials compared the electric bills of last year’s harsh winter to the tab for the winter before the upgrades, and said one third boosted efficiency by more than 10 percent. Using the Leo O’Brien Federal Building in Albany as a case in point, GSA said the structure saw its energy usage drop more than 12 percent. (General Services Administration)
• An Army officer killed more than 150 years ago will receive a Medal of Honor today. First Lt. Alonzo Cushing was a Union Army officer killed during the Battle of Gettysburg. Despite suffering injuries to his abdomen and shoulder, Lt. Cushing remained on the battlefield, until he was killed by a gunshot to the head. Typically, recommendations for a Medal of Honor need to be made within two years of an act of heroism, but Cushing’s admirers have long lobbied for him. President Barack Obama will present the award to Cushing’s descendants. (Associated Press)
• The Army’s last Vietnam-era draftee has retired. Chief Warrant Officer 5 Ralph Rigby celebrated his retirement at age 62 on his birthday. Rigby was drafted into the Army in 1972. The Army first thought that Command Sgt. Maj. Jeff Mellinger was the last draftee still on duty. He retired in July of 2011. But Army officials later issued a correction, when they learned two other drafted soldiers were still on duty. One was Rigby, and the other was Chief Warrant Officer 4 Franklin Ernst. He retired in 2012. (Associated Press)

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