Federal News Countdown: Feds unhappy with freeze, possible freeze for DoD, VA

Host Francis Rose and executive editor Jason Miller count down the top federal news stories of the week.

Host Francis Rose and Federal News Radio executive editor Jason Miller counted down the top federal news stories of this week:

Francis Rose’s stories
#3 DoD lectures Congress on budget ‘rules of the game’
From Federal News Radio:

The Defense Department continues to beat the “don’t change our budget” drum to get the attention of lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

The Pentagon, again, is sending a warning to Congress: Every dollar legislators add back into DoD’s budget and every program lawmakers keep alive that the military wants to end, will leave the department with an imbalance in how it meets its mission.

#2 Cyber attack against TSP contractor exposes thousands of accounts
From Federal News Radio:

A sophisticated cyber attack against the Thrift Savings Plan contractor responsible for maintaining the agency’s data centers compromised the information of 123,000 TSP participants.

Of the compromised accounts, about 43,000 had personal information, such as names, Social Security numbers and bank-account numbers exposed. Another 80,000 compromised accounts had only Social Security numbers and other TSP-related information exposed.

However, there is no indication the data has been misused, according to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. There is also no evidence the TSP’s network or its website was affected.

#1 Feds’ satisfaction with pay dips after two-year freeze
From Federal News Radio:

Federal employees were less satisfied with their pay after the two-year pay freeze went into effect in 2010.

Feds gave their pay satisfaction a score of 63 out of 100 in 2010, but that score dropped to 59.1 in 2011, according to a report by the Partnership for Public Service released Tuesday. The findings were based on the Partnership’s Best Places to Work analysis.

Higher-ranking feds — those in the GS-13 to GS-15 levels — were most satisfied with their pay, with 74.1 percent of those feds responding positively about their pay, the report said.

Jason Miller’s stories
#3 USPS offers buyouts to 45,000 mail handlers
From Federal News Radio:

he U.S. Postal will offer buyouts and early retirements to more than 45,000 mail handlers, USPS announced Friday.

Employees opting for the early-out will receive a $15,000 incentive payment — half to be paid in December, and the other half to be paid in December 2013.

The new buyout offers are the result of “in depth discussions” between USPS and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. An agreement was inked Tuesday.

#2 OMB alumni to suggest revisions to cyber section of A-130
From Federal News Radio:

With the Senate’s efforts to pass a comprehensive cyber bill stuck in neutral, the Office of Management and Budget is laying the groundwork for significant reforms to federal cyber policy.

Three former alumni and other experts are offering their suggestions to OMB as part of its efforts to revise Circular A-130, specifically the cybersecurity appendix, which is about 10 years old.

#1 House passes VA, DoD civilian pay freeze
From Federal News Radio:

The House passed a veterans funding bill Thursday that would extend the pay freeze another year for civilian employees of the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments.

The bill passed 407-12, despite a White House veto threat.

The administration proposed a 0.5 percent pay raise for civilian feds in fiscal 2013, which begins Oct. 1. All civilian federal employees are now in the second of a two-year pay freeze.

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