Monday federal headlines – November 30, 2015

In Monday's Federal Headlines, the FCC's new website is designed to provide better functionality, an improved design, and better searchability and navigability....

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive.

  • The Federal Communications Commission is performing a large-scale redesign of its website, FCC.gov. The new website is designed to provide better functionality, an improved design, and better searchability and navigability. The switch to the new site is scheduled to begin on Dec. 9 and be completed by midnight on Dec. 10. (FCC)
  • The Center for Regulatory Effectiveness is asking regulatory experts how to improve the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. The Hill reports the industry-funded government watchdog said the agency, which reviews and signs off on all proposed and final regulations, is now 35 years old and in need of some improvements such as an increase of staff and capping the costs regulators can impose on the public in a given year. The CRE plans to use the comments and responses they receive to draft recommendations for OIRA. (The Hill)
  • The NSA’s controversial program that collects bulk data from telephone calls ended midnight on Saturday. NBC News reports if the government wants to check on a specific phone number in a potential terrorism case now, a request must be made to the relevant telephone company for a check of its own data. The government will no longer retain the information. Saturday was the end of a six-month transition period after Congress formally banned the program back in June. (NBC News)
  • President Barack Obama wants to give members of the Senior Executive Service a pay raise. The Washington Post reports the Obama administration is preparing an executive order designed to bolster the SES with increased compensation, a streamlined hiring process and greater diversity in assignments. The draft being considered says federal agencies “shall… gradually increase the rate of basic pay of all SES employees” to ensure they are not paid less than subordinates. Potential SES candidates would be allowed to apply using resumes instead of other requirements such as multiple essay-style narratives. Rotational assignments for senior leaders would also increase. (Washington Post)
  • Lawmakers return to Capitol Hill today hoping to wrap up talks regarding the nation’s budget. Members of Congress have just under two weeks left until Dec. 11, when the current stopgap funding measure expires. Congress would need to pass the $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund Cabinet agencies and avoid a holiday season government shutdown. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Office of Management and Budget is directing federal agencies and the GSA to come up with a single mechanism to rapidly hire outside expertise the next time an agency’s systems are breached. This directive hopes to ensure agencies are fully prepared for a quick response to cyber attacks. Within the next two months, GSA will need to submit a general plan for the contracting equivalent of a 911 service to help agencies fill any security gaps. (Federal News Radio)

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