Thursday federal headlines – May 7, 2015

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 group of nine senators want an agencywide, independent review of the Veterans Affairs Department. They’re also asking the Government Accountability Office to investigate all 56 VA field offices. Senate VA Backlog Working Group Co-Chairman Dean Heller (R-Nev.) said mismanagement at the Philadelphia regional office could point to bigger, agencywide problems. (Federal News Radio)
• The IRS needs to tighten up its policies for dealing with employees who aren’t paying their taxes. A Treasury inspector general investigation found only 39 percent of tax non-payers are terminated, as required by law. In some cases, repeat offenders are still on the job. The commissioner has the legal power to mitigate the punishment. But the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found, even when tax-evasion was willful, the commissioner has not provided documentation about why employees kept their jobs. The IG said Commissioner John Koskinen should revise the policy so it requires that documentation. Chief Human Capital Officer Dan Riordan said the IRS agrees with the recommendation. (Treasury Dept.)
• The FAA is partnering with a railroad, a drone manufacturer and a news organization to speed along policy for use of unmanned aircraft in U.S. skies. The furthest along is CNN, which has established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, or CRDA, with the FAA. BNSF Railroad and drone-maker Precision-Hawk are still developing their CRDAs. CNN is looking at how drones can be used safely in newsgathering over urban areas. BNSF wants to explore drone uses for track inspection and maintenance. Precision-Hawk plans to research how drones can improve precision agriculture. (FAA)
• Twenty-five lawmakers threaten to veto the National Defense Authorization Act. Their gripe is an amendment introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) that lets immigrants who arrived illegally as children enlist in the military. The immigrants qualify for President Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The lawmakers, led by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) wrote a letter to House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas). They called the amendment a “severe threat” to passage of the NDAA. The House is expected to debate the bill next week. The Hill reports the Army has already allowed 50 individuals who entered the country illegally to enlist. (Federal News Radio/The Hill)
• A bill to help Homeland Security with its social media strategy is moving forward in the Senate. The measure directs DHS to create a social media working group. That group would advise the department on using social media in disaster response, terrorist attacks or other emergencies. The group would also help DHS share information through social media with the public and state and local governments. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed the bill. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) introduced it in the House in January, where it passed the following month. (HSGAC/GovTrack)
• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will soon interact online with employers. Eleven offices began a pilot program called ACT Digital. Through the program, EEOC digitally sends documents related to discrimination charges to employers. Employers can then communicate with the agency through a secure online portal. They download the charge to review it and submit a statement back to the agency online. The EEOC receives about 90,000 charges each year. It said ACT Digital would reduce paper submissions and files, and would streamline the charge system. (EEOC)
• An inspector general found aging inmates are putting a strain on the Bureau of Prisons. Medical costs for older inmates are greater than for younger ones. The Bureau spends an average of $10,000 on medical care for older inmates, compared to $2,000 for younger ones. The IG also found prisons don’t have the right infrastructure to accommodate older inmates. These prisoners often need lower bunks, cells that are handicapped accessible and elevators. The IG suggested the bureau take another look at its compassionate release program. Aging inmates are found to be less of a safety threat to the public, and releasing them could save money, according to the IG. (Justice Dept. OIG)
• A high-ranking State Department official told senators, use of private email servers for government business was unacceptable. Joyce Barr, State’s freedom of information officer, testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s looking to the issue of former Secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s home- based server, which Clinton has erased. Barr said the department has stepped up employee training and issued notices and telegrams about proper email practice. Rep. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Clinton’s avoidance of federal computers was a premeditated and deliberate attempt to avoid open records requirements. Barr said she was unaware that Clinton was using a private server. (Federal News Radio)
• The Air Force 33rd Fighter Wing has begun training the first female pilot of an F-35. Lt. Col. Christine Mau went aloft yesterday in a real plane following 14 flights in a simulator. She becomes the 88th pilot of the F-35, which is still in development. Mau is an experienced pilot. One of her earlier assignments was to the 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron. The all-women mission flew and maintained F-15-E jets in support of troops in the Kunar Valley of Afghanistan. Following her F-35 flight, Mau said the plane flies like a dream. Training takes places at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. (Federal News Radio)

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