Furloughs and your TSP account
Now that you've been sequestered and set up for possible furloughs, what else could go wrong? A one-day-a-week furlough means a 20 percent pay cut for that week, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey explains. So what is the impact, if any, on your Thrift Savings Plan contributions and the matching contributions you get from your agency?
Issa asks agencies for alternative sequestration cuts
The chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee wrote to 17 agencies requesting short-term ways to achieve savings instead of the across-the-board cuts expected to start today.
Sequestration Tracker: Guide to agency furloughs
In the weeks leading up to March 1, agencies across government have painted increasingly dire pictures of life under sequestration. Along with hiring freezes, spending reductions, and curtailed travel and training, many agencies are planning for furloughs. With Federal News Radio's Sequestration Tracker, find out how agencies have said they'll slash their budgets to comply with the $85 billion in across-the-board cuts.
DOE: Budget cuts may slow nuclear waste cleanup
Energy Department says budget cuts could delay cleanup at highest-risk nuclear sites
FDA Commissioner: budget cuts mean less safe food
FDA Commissioner Hamburg says budget cuts mean fewer inspections, less safe food
Feds at IRS, Social Security, TSA face dangerous heat...
If there is a partial shutdown of government services, now or later, politicians will blame each other. But the big losers will be federal workers in IRS and Social Security offices, and TSA screeners at airports who are going to take the heat, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
Obama signs sequestration order; what's next for feds?
Sequestration is officially a reality for federal employees and agencies. President Barack Obama signed the sequestration order into effect Friday night. After more than 15 months, fierce debate and a delay at the beginning of the year, the $85 billion in automatic, across-the-board budget cuts are officially here. Find out what steps civilian agencies and the Pentagon are taking, including employee furloughs. Plus find out what comes next in terms of negotiations between the White House and Congress.
SSA, IRS take different paths on sequestration furloughs
The Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration — two of the largest federal agencies with very public missions — are taking divergent paths when it comes to dealing with the automatic, across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration. IRS says it is planning for five to seven furloughs days, while SSA says it hopes to forego furloughs through alternative savings.
DHS official retires after immigrants are freed
APNewsBreak: Homeland Security official retires after illegal immigrants freed over cuts
Coast Guard: Budget cuts to limit flights, patrols
Coast Guard commandant says automatic spending cuts would mean fewer flight hours, sea patrols
Before furloughs, agencies must negotiate terms with unions
Customs and Border Protection became one of the first civilian agencies to notify the union that represents their employees that they want to begin discussing the implementation of furloughs under sequestration. NTEU and AFGE expect to hear from more agencies in the next two weeks if cuts from sequestration go into effect March 1.
Feds sound off on sequestration impact
Federal workers are sounding off about how sequestration, the across-the-board budget cuts slated to kick in Friday, will impact their jobs and their families. The Federal Workers Alliance, a conglomeration of 20 federal-employee unions, has launched a message board to allow feds to share their concerns and to put a human face on the cuts.
Salazar: Thousands of Interior workers imperiled
Interior secretary says budget cuts imperil thousands of department's workers
Sequester: Bombshell or burp?
We've got another week, at least, of hair-pulling news and analysis about sequestration, federal furloughs and the like. So, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know, is this going to be the bombshell critics claim or as harmless as a burp in church?
Coburn calls for partial federal job freeze as sequestration nears
The Republican senator from Oklahoma is asking the Office of Management and Budget to require agencies to stop hiring for certain positions. Instead, he would like that funding put towards mission critical jobs that could be affected by sequestration cuts. Coburn, the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, found 10 jobs listed on USAJobs.gov that he believes could be frozen. He says this would give agencies $1.4 million to spend on positions like border security officers and TSA screeners.
OMB, agencies still crunching sequestration-related furlough numbers for non-DoD civilians
The White House released its estimate on the impact of cuts from sequestration would have on each state and the District of Columbia. OMB's Danny Werfel said they still are obtaining clarity on the impact $85 billion in cuts would have on each agency.
Obama administration: Cuts to cause flight delays
Obama administration: Spending cuts will cause flight delays
SBA head: Agency will avoid major blow from cuts
SBA head Mills says agency operations unlikely to be drastically hurt by automatic budget cuts
Union: EPA plans agencywide furlough days under sequestration
The Environmental Protection Agency is planning at least three agencywide mandatory furlough days through the end of the fiscal year if sequestration goes into effect, according to union officials who say they were briefed on agency plans. EPA also will implement employee furloughs in two phases, according to John J. O'Grady, the president of AFGE Local 704, which covers the Chicago region.
NTEU:CBP furloughs could put nation at risk, create hardships for employees
The National Treasury Employees Union was informed by Customs and Border Protection that agency-wide furlough notices of up to 14 days will be issued in mid-March as a result of sequestration. CBP told NTEU that it will have to make $754 million in cuts from March 1 through Sept. 30, the end of the current fiscal year.




