FMA Fights To Repeal DOD Cuts To Long-Term TDY Per Diems

Hear It from FMA, FEDmanager.com

The Federal Managers Association’s (FMA) mission is to advocate for excellence in public service. That can be expressed in many forms, working in a non-partisan fashion alongside elected decision makers and administration officials in Washington, D.C., and across the country. Our goal is always to craft solutions that allow good intentions to turn into good policy.

We understood the intentions of the Department of Defense (DOD) when it instituted cuts to long-term temporary duty (TDY) per diems in November, 2014. As federal managers, we are always looking for ways to increase cost-savings across the government, while providing necessary services. However the changes to the Joint Travel Regulations, which remain in effect, reduce per diems by 25 percent for those on TDY for more than 30 days, and by a whopping 45 percent for those on TDY for more than 180 days. The cuts apply not only to federal civilian DOD employees, but to uniform members of the military, as well.

The Federal Managers Association opposes The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act passed by both chambers of Congress and to be passed by President Trump. To read our full position on the bill, please reference our press release.

Major Civil Service Reform Bill Heads to Trump’s Desk

By Eric Katz, Government Executive

The House on Tuesday passed 368-55 a bipartisan bill to expedite the firing of Veterans Affairs Department employees, sending reforms mostly Republican lawmakers have clamored for since scandal embroiled the agency three years ago to President Trump’s desk. 

Democratic Lawmakers Protest Trump Telling Agencies to Ignore Their Requests

By Charles S. Clark, Government Executive

An all-but-official Trump administration directive seems to instruct agencies to respond to congressional oversight requests for information only from Republicans who control both chambers of Congress...

Greg Stanford, government and public affairs director of the Federal Managers Association, said, “Committee chairmen are afforded certain benefits due to their majority status, including prioritized responses for information requests from agencies. However, ordering agencies to ignore requests from all other duly elected representatives of the American people as a matter of established policy only results in distrust and further erodes civility in government. This new policy sets a dangerous, short-sighted precedent and at its core is un-American.”

Thrift Savings Plan Board Approves Five-Year Lifecycle Fund Increments

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

The Federal Managers Association sits on the Employee Thrift Advisory Council which serves to represent the interests of federal employees before the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. FMA was represented at this joint meeting by Executive Director Todd Wells who inquired about several issues of concern to feds.

The panel that oversees the retirement savings plan for federal employees on Wednesday unanimously approved offering lifecycle funds targeted to within five years of participants’ expected retirement date rather than the current 10-year increments.

President Trump’s FY18 Budget Request: A Race To The Bottom

FMA has written a piece posted on FEDManager.com regarding the President's recent budget request. FMA is a regular contributor to FEDmanager.com and will be posting articles to its website on a monthly basis.

President Donald Trump unveiled his Administration's fiscal year 2018 (FY18) budget request on Tuesday, May 23rd. 

The Federal Managers Association (FMA) immediately voiced significant concerns with the proposal, as it negatively targets the retirement packages of all current, retired, and future federal employees. FMA understands difficult choices need to be made, but views this proposal as an unacceptable setback. National President Renee Johnson called it a “slap in the face.”

Trump’s budget shows feds little love despite pay hike

By Joe Davidson, Washington Post

Perhaps only the heartlessness the president’s budget demonstrates for the poor, the hungry and the sick exceeds the billionaire’s absence of empathy for the federal employees who serve them.

The damage President Trump’s fiscal 2018 spending plan would do to what’s left of services for those in need is well chronicled elsewhere. Here we examine his proposed undermining of retirement programs for middle-class workers who make up the federal workforce. It’s unlikely the budget will become law as written, however, and some Republicans on Capitol Hill don’t even like it.

Trump budget to carve $4B from federal employee retirement

By Carten Cordell, Federal Times

There had been rumblings all week of what the White House’s budget would mean for federal retirees. 

Odds are they won't be that happy with the result. 

The Office of Management and Budget’s summary tables for the fiscal 2018 plan outline more than $4 billion in cuts to federal employee retirement benefits this year.

Watchdog Criticizes Process That Led to Cuts in Defense Long-Term Travel Per Diems

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

The committee tasked with forming the Defense Department’s travel policies did not properly vet controversial cut to per diems for long-term travel before implementing the change, the Government Accountability Office found in a new report.

The policy, denounced by Defense personnel and members of Congress since it was implemented in 2014, was part of a governmentwide effort to reduce travel costs. It cut reimbursements for long-term temporary duty travel by 25 percent for trips between 31 and 180 days, and by 45 percent for travel longer than 180 days.

The Federal Managers Association (FMA) endorsed legislation introduced earlier this month, in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, which would repeal cuts instituted by the Department of Defense on long term TDY per diems. Since November 2014, per diems for those on TDY between 30 and 180 days are cut by 25 percent, while those on TDY for 180 days or more are cut by 45 percent. Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC) and Derek Kilmer (D-WA) introduced H.R. 2036, while Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and nine cosponsors introduced S. 901, prohibiting any cut to per diems based on the length of the temporary duty assignment.

S. 901 is currently cosponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA).

FMA has worked toward a full repeal of these drastic cuts since they were implemented, and will advocate for passage of both H.R. 2036 and S. 901. 

Federal Managers Groups Largely Support Trump OPM Pick

By Erich Wagner, Government Executive

The Trump administration’s nomination of George Nesterczuk to serve as director of the Office of Personnel Management is already making waves among groups that represent federal workers.

While groups representing managers voiced varying levels of support for the announcement Wednesday, a union official was warier of the choice.