This report provides an update on issues affecting federal managers. As always, I encourage you to visit www.fedmanagers.org on a regular basis for more information on these and other matters.

Also, be sure to look for the monthly FMA Grassroots Update where we offer links to action letters and FMA-PAC matters we do not address in the Washington Report. The grassroots newsletter is sent exclusively to non-governmental email addresses to avoid any Hatch Act violations. If you are not receiving it, contact the national office to provide your non-governmental email address.

Please feel free to provide feedback any time by emailing Greg Stanford at gstanford@fedmanagers.org, or by calling the National Office at (703) 683-8700. Thank you for your membership in FMA. It’s an honor to represent your interests before Congress and the administration.

The House Appropriations Committee has passed all twelve funding bills for Fiscal Year 2027, and the full House of Representatives has passed two of the 12 funding bills (Agriculture and Military Construction/VA) needed to fund the coming fiscal year. There are 23 legislative days scheduled before the start of Fiscal Year 2027.

Following committee passage of Defense appropriations, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) said, "Reporting all 12 of our FY27 bills out of full committee is proof that regular order still works when Congress commits itself to the task. Our dedicated cardinals and members have engaged, deliberated, and delivered on behalf of their constituents and the nation. They've balanced priorities, exercised careful stewardship, and advanced legislation that strengthens U.S. security, prosperity, and future.” In addition to the 12 FY27 funding bills, the committee is also reviewing a formal request from the White House for supplemental defense funding of $87.6 billion to replenish weapon stockpiles and further boost national security resources.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has delayed consideration of FY27 funding bills several times this summer, although it is expected to begin tackling the bills when it returns following the Independence Day Work Period on July 13. We will continue to monitor developments on funding for Fiscal Year 2027, including any potential continuing resolution or a threat of another government shutdown.

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) approved its version of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), S. 4874, on June 11, by a vote of 18-9, clearing its way for consideration by the full Senate. Notably, the Senate version prohibits any reduction in force (RIF), hiring delay, or hiring freeze at any of the four public shipyards or for any position funded by a working capital fund.

The House Armed Services Committee passed its version (H.R. 8800) by a vote of 44-12. The topline funding authorized for national defense by both bills is approximately $1.15 trillion. After both chambers pass their respective bills, the differences between the bills will need to be ironed out before the bill can be sent to President Trump.

Click here to read a detailed summary of the Senate version.

On July 2, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed a new rulemaking that would end the current Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) as a centrally administered survey tool and instead issue guidance for individual agencies to conduct their own surveys. Although required by statute, OPM did not conduct the FEVS in 2025.

In a blog post outlining the proposed changes, OPM Director Scott Kupor wrote the guidance to agencies includes “a common set of core questions that every agency will ask – ensuring we preserve the ability to track government-wide trends and maintain a coherent thread of data across the federal workforce. The goal isn’t fragmentation; it’s better ownership. Agencies will have the flexibility to go deeper where their missions demand it, while OPM retains the visibility to understand the broader landscape and identify where systemic challenges require government-wide attention.”

Kupor also expressed a belief that a once-a-year survey, as the FEVS has historically been administered, is “sub-optimal.”

On May 27, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposed new rulemaking to eliminate the current time-in-grade requirement. Current regulations dating back to 1950 require General Schedule feds to work 52 weeks before they are eligible for a promotion. OPM referred to the current rule as “outdated,” in the proposed rulemaking, which is open for comments through July 27.

OPM argues the proposed rule would “shift federal advancement away from time served and toward merit, performance, skills, and demonstrated readiness for higher-level work.” If adopted, all feds would still be required to meet qualification standards set by OPM and other job-related requirements.

Federal employee unions are pressing a federal appeals court to force a district judge to rule on their pending lawsuit against the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) federal hiring essay questions unveiled in summer 2025 — a challenge FMA has been watching closely.

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), and other unions filed suit in November 2025, arguing that OPM's essay requirement violates First Amendment protections by compelling political expression from job applicants — or discouraging qualified candidates from applying at all. At the center of the dispute is a question asking applicants to describe their favorite policy or executive order from the current administration and explain how they would help advance it. OPM has maintained that the essay questions are optional and play no role in hiring decisions. The unions dispute that characterization, contending that some applicants have in fact been required to answer.

A hearing on the unions' request for a preliminary injunction was held in March 2026. On June 15, they petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for a writ of mandamus — a request asking the appeals court to compel the district judge to act.

The Administration’s deferred resignation programs (DRP) cost between $11.1 and $15 billion to pay feds to not work, according to Public Citizen in a recent report. Almost 140,000 federal employees voluntarily left government service since President Trump took office and offered incentives for their departure, resulting in the cost through March 2026. The costs could rise, as some agencies have offered new rounds of the DRP this year.

Initially begun with the “fork in the road” email from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in January 2025, feds were given an opportunity to resign but continue receiving a paycheck through the end of Fiscal Year 2025 (September 30, 2025). Retirement-eligible feds by the end of the year could be paid through 2025.

All FMA members are invited to join us for a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time. Greg Stanford, FMA's Director of Government & Public Affairs, will report on our latest efforts, what we are hearing from others in the federal community, and ask that you share with us any concerns you may have. We will also review the resources available to you as an FMA member to make it easy to communicate with your elected representatives, either by writing a prepared action letter or an in-person meeting. Meeting with your members of Congress while they are in their home districts and states during the August recess is a great way to let them know what is important to you and your colleagues.