New rule could alter postal workers’ pension payment plans

In today's Top Federal Headlines, the Office of Personnel Management unveiled a new rule that says USPS and the Treasury Department can work together to determi...

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

  • Postal employees could see a fairer system when making pension payments. The Office of Personnel Management proposed a new rule saying the Postmaster General and Treasury Department can work together to determine what percentage postal employees should pay into the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System, rather than using standards it applies to all agencies. Postal leaders requested the change since members of the postal workforce tend to be from different demographics than the rest of the federal workforce. (Federal Register)
  • Despite veto threats earlier in the year, President Barack Obama has signed this year’s Defense authorization bill. The administration signaled a number of concerns with early drafts of the bill, including disagreements with Congress on the future of Guantanamo Bay and a reorganization of DoD’s bureaucracy. In the end, Obama signed the final congressional compromise with a statement criticizing several of its provisions and praising others. Among its thousands of pages, the bill authorizes $611 billion in Defense spending in 2017, including a 2.1 percent pay raise for military personnel and more than 100 provisions meant to reform the Pentagon’s acquisition system. (Federal News Radio)
  • Defense Department civilians willing to retire early may be getting a bigger payout. The 2017 defense authorization bill increases the incentive for workers to leave sooner from $25,000 to $40,000. That should help the Pentagon achieve its goal of cutting headquarters staff. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Homeland Security Department has the authority to set up joint task forces starting next year. Congress signed off on the provision in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. It lets the DHS create joint task forces in specific regions for a certain purpose. The President will appoint a specific leader to head each one. Current DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson formed three border security task forces this year and encouraged Congress to authorize them. (Federal News Radio)
  • Members of the Marine Corps in the field can now use a tablet to call in fire support from their location. The tablet can display real-time satellite images and video feeds. Marines can then share that data with the fire support teams to increase accuracy. (Federal News Radio)
  • A ranking senator is questioning agencies on ethics and presidential appointments. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) asked 17 agencies about President-elect Donald Trump’s nominations and potential conflicts of interest. Carper wants information about financial disclosure statements, reviews, and how and where an agency reports potential ethics violations. (Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee)
  • A new guide intends to help organizations recover from cyber attacks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s guide helps agencies create a plan to recover and contain effects from an attack. NIST said having a plan in advance allows teams to run exercises to better prepare for breaches. (National Institute of Standards and Technology)
  • Instant messaging might be convenient, but federal employees should be careful when using it for official business. The Environmental Protection Agency inspector general found employees who used IM were not trying to get around the Federal Records Act. In fact, management pushed policies to “preserve” text messages. Still, the IG said the EPA’s procedures could stand some tightening up. It recommended stronger guidance on Freedom of Information Act and congressional requests involving text messages. It also recommended storing messages before mobile devices are decommissioned. (Environmental Protection Agency Office of Inspector General)
  • The Justice Department is making strides toward implementing requirements of the DATA Act. DOJ’s inspector general found the department is making progress toward standardized financial reporting. However, it said gaps exist in some of the department’s preparations that need to be fixed. The implementation deadline is May 2017. (Federal News Radio)

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