Federal Daily Top News Stories


Feds taking advantage of education benefit

While Congress is considering whether to extend lower student loan interest rates, congressional staff and federal workers are taking advantage of millions of dollars in benefits from employee student loan programs.

Furloughs avoided at CBP

A labor group representing Customs and Border Protection employees cheered congressional approval of a plan to reprogram funds to eliminate employee furloughs at the agency in fiscal 2013.

Correctional officers union urges staffing increase

A labor group that represents federal correctional officers is calling for relief from a hiring freeze in a wake of an attack on an officer who was supervising prison inmates alone.

DOD announces timelines for women in combat roles

The Defense Department on June 18 publicly released timelines for bringing women into previously closed combat positions.

Reinventing government, again

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee at a June 18 hearing reviewed the possibility of undertaking a new effort to "reinvent government" by soliciting the recommendations of a commission of private-sector management experts.

Lawmaker aims to save overnight mail delivery

Dozens of lawmakers have agreed to support a bill that aims to save overnight mail delivery.

New VA benefits management system installation complete

The Department of Veterans Affairs last week completed installation of its Veterans Benefits Management System at all 56 regional offices.

House votes down outsourcing measure

The head of the American Federation of Government Employees applauded House lawmakers for voting down a proposal that would have lifted a moratorium on conducting public-private competitions to allow outsourcing of services performed by Defense Department federal civilian employees.

Attacks on rangers and federal resource employees increase

Attacks and threats on federal employees who work in national parks and wildlife refuges increased last year, according to numbers compiled by the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Another postal reform bill in the works

The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is taking another shot at postal reform legislation.

USPS settles multimillion-dollar lawsuit

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has pre-approved a multimillion-dollar settlement against the Postal Service for allegations that the agency discriminated against employees with disabilities,

Fallen feds to get flag recognition benefit

The heads of agencies soon will have authorization to present a U.S. flag to a family of a fallen federal employee, much as the military services furnish flags to families of fallen service members.

VA says disability claims backlog decreasing

The director of compensation services for the Department of Veterans Affairs told a Senate committee that the department has made significant progress in trimming its huge backlog of claims for disability benefits.

Presidential Rank awards to be 'non-monetary' in 2013

The Obama administration has decided that doling out cash awards for excellence to senior level federal employees in the current financial climate may not be prudent, and so has decided to skip them this year.