Democrats Propose 3.2% Pay Raise for Feds
Democrats in both the House and Senate are pushing for a 3.2 percent pay raise for federal employees in 2022. The Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act, introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), would give all federal employees a 2.2 percent pay increase and an average 1 percent increase in locality pay.
House Passes Bill to Increase Transparency in Agency Use of Funds
The Congressional Budget Justification Transparency Act (H.R. 22), introduced by U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL), passed the House in a 412-2 vote. This bipartisan bill would increase transparency of government funding by allowing the public to access an easy to use database with a breakdown of spending.
An Overview of the 117th Congress
The 117th Congress was sworn in on Sunday, starting a new chapter in Congressional history. The 117th Congress is the most diverse in U.S. history, with a record number of women, racial minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community. This Congress also includes a record number of Republican women.
Congress Scrambles to Fund Government as Deadline Looms
With a government shutdown looming at the end of this week, lawmakers are scrambling to fund the government and approve emergency COVID-19 aid. The omnibus government funding bill is expected to also serve as the vehicle for two COVID-19 relief packages.
2021 NDAA Passes Congress with Enough Support for Veto Override
The U.S. Senate passed the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an all-encompassing piece of legislation that introduces provisions related to many agencies and federal employees, with an 84-13 majority. This margin means that even if President Trump vetoes the bill, as he has threatened, there is enough support in Congress to override the veto.
Congress Finalizes NDAA, Including Federal Leave Provisions
Congress finalized its conference report on the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 3, preparing the expansive piece of legislation with provisions related to many agencies and federal employees for a final vote.
Congressional Leaders Agree to Vote on One-Week Stopgap Bill
Congressional leaders are trying to give their negotiators more time to reach an agreement on a COVID-19 relief package and the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill to which pandemic relief would be attached.
Congress Seeks Details from Agencies on Burrowing In
House Democrats want to know whether President Trump’s political appointees are being converted into career civil servants.
House Chairs Send Letters to Agencies and Administration Calling for Preservation of Documents
According to a press release from November 10, 2020, House committee chairs sent dozens of letters to the Trump administration and various federal agencies directing them to preserve documents and comply with federal record-keeping laws. As Congress prepares for a transition of power and the start of a new Congress, the chairs reminded agencies of their duty to preserve information responsive to congressional subpoenas and investigations and comply with the Presidential Records Act and the Federal Records Act.
Avoidance of Government Shutdown Rests on Lame Duck Spending Deal
As lawmakers approach the December 11, 2020 stopgap funding deadline, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin remain stuck on several issues relating to COVID-19 and funding of the government. If Congress and the White House are unable to reach another stopgap funding deal by December 11, then a partial government shutdown could occur.
Lawmakers Respond to Executive Order on Schedule F in Excepted Service
Several lawmakers have spoken out against the president’s Executive Order on Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service, while others have expressed support. Within days of the order’s release, several lawmakers have also introduced legislation that would reverse the order. Here is a roundup of the Congressional response:
House Committee Holds Hearing on IRS Pandemic Response
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hybrid hearing on October 7, 2020 called “IRS in the Pandemic” during which they discussed IRS operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial state of the IRS, and the status of information technology (IT) within the organization.
Future of Defense Task Force Exposes Major Vulnerabilities in U.S. National Security
On September 29, 2020, the bipartisan Future of Defense Task Force released their final report, findings, and recommendations following a months-long review of U.S. defense assets and capabilities. The task force’s results show that U.S. national security is at a turning point. The report states that remaining competitive “will require a paradigm shift in our defense posture from heavy, expensive, and antiquated, to lean, adaptive, and integrated.”
House Modernization Committee Issues Final Round of Recommendations
The House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress passed its final round of recommendations before the end of its term. The committee has passed 97 bipartisan recommendations in its 20-month lifespan. The latest set of recommendations includes several provisions strengthening the legislative branch, namely those that strive to reform the budget and appropriations process.
Reps. Hurd, Kelly Push for New AI Resolution
Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) recently proposed creating a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy in a concurrent resolution. The resolution consists of 78 actions that would lead to an overarching AI strategy in the United States. These actions have been suggested after many stakeholder meetings discussing AI policy challenges, development, spending, workforce training, and ethical issues.
Proposal Directs $1 Million in Funding to Investigate COVID-19 Misinformation, Disinformation
Democrats in both the House and the Senate recently proposed legislation that would grant $1 million to the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a probe into how online disinformation and misinformation disrupted the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Disinformation refers to details that are inherently manipulated or disseminated with an intentional aim to be deceptive. Misinformation does not necessarily involve the intent to mislead.
House Introduces Funding Bill Without Senate Support
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a new stopgap government funding bill this week without first securing support from her Republican counterparts in the Senate or the White House. This bill would extend current levels of spending for agencies past the September 30 end of the fiscal year through December 11.
D.C. Circuit Panel: Congress Must Pass Law to Authorize House Subpoena Enforcement
On August 31, 2020, in a 2-1 decision after a remand from the en banc court, a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that the Committee on the Judiciary of the United States House of Representatives (“Judiciary Committee”) had no valid cause of action to enforce its subpoena for executive branch records related to former White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn, II, where the Executive Branch blocked McGahn’s testimony and asserted “absolute testimonial immunity.”