By Courtney Buble, Government Executive -

The Senate voted 50-41 on Monday evening to confirm President Biden’s nominee to lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

By Eric Katz, Government Executive -

The federal agency tasked with adjudicating appeals of adverse actions agencies have taken against employees is asking a federal court to let the agency's own central board determine whether its judges are hired within the bounds of the Constitution.

By Scott Maucione, Federal News Network -

The Pentagon is preparing to hand down harsh punishments to civilian employees who do not comply with the executive mandate that government workers get their coronavirus vaccine.

By Eric Katz, Government Executive -

The Veterans Affairs Department has begun disciplining employees who have not proven that they are vaccinated against COVID-19, sending an untold number into counseling following a deadline to turn over their documentation.

By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network -

With the clock ticking toward the next funding deadline in early December, Senate Democrats on Monday unveiled nine new appropriations bills for the remainder of 2022.

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive -

The Office of Personnel Management is set to propose new rules this week that would grant around 86,000 federal employees access to the federal government’s dental and vision insurance program.

By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network -

Deciding when to retire is one of those big, scary life decisions. The answer is different for everyone. Federal benefits experts can provide advice but perhaps no one “right” answer.

By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network -

As agencies continue an ongoing push to make their processes, tools and workplaces more accessible to employees and members of the public, a recent executive order is putting more wind in the sails of those who manage federal accessibility programs.

Jessie Bur, Federal Times -

The cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients will increase by 5.9 percent for 2022, marking the largest increase since 1982.

By Eric Katz, Government Executive -

The House on Tuesday passed a short-term measure to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, temporarily avoiding an unprecedented default on U.S. debt that would have caused significant disruption for federal agencies and the economy.

Eric Katz, Government Executive -

The department is giving those employees 10 more days to prove they have been vaccinated or seek an exception before discipline begins.

Eric Katz, Government Executive -

Congressional leaders have yet to spell out how they will avoid potential delayed paychecks for feds in the long term.

Lawmakers have reached a bipartisan agreement that will raise the debt ceiling, with the Senate on Thursday passing a bill to temporarily avoid an unprecedented default on U.S. debt that would have caused significant disruption for federal agencies and the economy.

By Eric Katz, Government Executive -

The Senate on Wednesday is expected to vote on a standalone measure to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, though Republicans are expected to block the bill.

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive -

The Biden administration on Friday issued guidance to agencies outlining the process for disciplining and, if necessary, firing federal employees who refuse to comply with President Biden’s requirement that all federal workers are vaccinated against COVID-19, urging “consistency” across the federal government in its enforcement of the rule.

By Eric Katz, Government Executive -

President Biden on Thursday evening signed a stopgap funding measure to avoid a shutdown that would have otherwise begun Friday. The Senate had passed the measure, which will keep agencies open through Dec. 3, early in the afternoon, followed by the House.

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive -

Federal employees and retirees will spend an average of 3.8% more on their health insurance premiums in 2021, marking the second straight year of declining cost increases.

By George Chuzi, Government Executive -

The federal government’s efforts to ensure that its workforce is fully protected from COVID-19, as employees return to the office amid the surge in Delta variant cases, have proceeded in fits and starts, culminating with President Biden’s September 9 executive order requiring “COVID-19 vaccination for all federal employees, subject to such exceptions as required by law."

By Eric Katz, Government Executive -

The Senate on Monday failed to advance a short-term funding bill that would have funded agencies through early December, leaving Congress just three days to come up with an alternate plan to avoid a government shutdown on Friday morning.

By Nicole Ogrysko, Federal News Network -

It’s never a great sign when, seven days before an upcoming government shutdown deadline, the Office of Management and Budget ever-so-calmly tells agencies that “prudent management” requires them to plan for a possible lapse in appropriations.

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive --

A House panel this week is expected to advance the federal government’s annual defense policy bill, including provisions that would repeal the controversial two-year probationary period for new hires at the Defense Department and add more protections for civilian employees’ jobs.

Agency would mirror organizations within the departments of Defense and Energy.

Eric Katz, Government Executive

The bipartisan infrastructure package agreed to over the weekend would create a new agency in the Transportation Department to fund innovative projects, with lawmakers providing the organization free reign to hire without restrictions and to pay higher salaries than those of most civil service jobs.

Staff Cuts and Budget Increases Are Both on Tap for 2019

By Eric Katz, Government Executive

The Trump administration has provided federal agencies with the latitude to request up to a 5 percent funding boost in fiscal 2019, saying the White House may accommodate a “limited number” of programmatic increases in its final blueprint.

Generally, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said in a memorandum to department and agency heads, agencies should keep their 2019 spending requests in line with what the White House spelled out in the fiscal 2018 budget submission. They should also, however, “identify additional investments in effective programs that further support their mission and fill a clear federal role.”