Trump’s ‘GreatAgain.gov’ transition site up and running

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

• The Trump administration’s transition website is now active. GreatAgain.gov explains how the team plans on ensuring a smooth transition. Agency Review Teams will be deployed to each federal agency to do so. Citizens will also be able to track the incoming administration’s plans through its transition Twitter handle: @Transition2017. (GreatAgain.gov)

• With yesterday marking the start of the 73-day window for transition preparation, the Partnership for Public Service is offering its suggestion to the incoming administration. The recommendations include preparing to turn campaign promises into policy, learning all they can from the federal workforce and prioritizing key presidential appointments. (Partnership for Public Service)

• Presidential transition gets underway in earnest. The Trump team moves into the office of the president-elect blocks from the House. The inner circle includes Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and former Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is reportedly focusing on filling national security positions. The Wall Street Journal reports, President-elect Donald Trump will propose a policy banning transition team members from lobbying federal agencies. Tax cuts are high on the legislative agenda. (Wall Street Journal)

• The Veterans Affairs Department gave an update on its initiative to improve customer service at the agency. In the third edition of its MyVA program’s semi-annual report, VA said more veterans are trusting the agency, more appointments are being completed faster and disability claims are also being processed quicker. VA is also happy to report veteran homelessness is down 47 percent since 2010. (Department of Veterans Affairs)

• The Air Force picked more than 300 airmen to join its training program for enlisted pilots. The 305 selectees — picked from 800 applicants — make up the next phase in the Air Force’s cautious approach to begin introducing enlisted personnel into its stretched-thin cadre of unmanned aircraft pilots. There are only 12 enlisted airmen in the program right now. The candidates will be winnowed down even further when the Air Force enlisted pilot selection board meets in February to make its final picks, who will then undergo about a year of training. (Air Force)

• The House and Senate Armed Services committees are finding some solid ground out of the unexpected election results. Despite expecting a huge shakeup in the makeup of the committees, most incumbents kept their seats. Some experts said a united Congress and White House could make defense budgeting and policy making easier for the next two years. (Federal News Radio)

• Beltway Democrats focused on the federal workforce after Republican victories on Election Day. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said he is playing cautious defense after being re-elected. Beyer told Federal News Radio he plans to support and protect the federal workforce, while colleague Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said he wants to pass a pay increase. (Federal News Radio)

• With virtual currencies like Bitcoin becoming more common, the Internal Revenue Service needs a plan to make sure users still follow tax law. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recommended the agency develop a coordinated virtual currency strategy to do so. The IRS said it agreed with the recommendation and planned on doing so. (Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration)

• A new policy is out telling agencies how to manage websites and digital services. Agencies have 18 new steps to improve the overall management of federal websites and data. The Office of Management and Budget issued a new memo Tuesday outlining ways agencies should build effective and user-centric digital services. OMB is giving agencies six months to implement these changes. Among the new requirements are using analytics and user feedback to manage websites and services. Another big change is requiring agencies to use only approved domains in the dot-gov or dot-mil spaces. OMB also reminded agencies about the need to migrate to Internet Protocol Version 6 from IPv4. (White House)

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.