All News

Countdown: Budget impasse, shutdown worries

Telework Exchange\'s Cindy Auten and the Partnership for Public Service\'s John Palguta count down the top federal news stories of the week.

Francis Rose

April 1, 2011 3:00 pm

< a min read

Today’s guests are:
–Cindy Auten, General Manager, Telework Exchange
–John Palguta, Vice President, Partnership for Public Service

Cindy Auten’s stories
#3 Feds turn out in droves for Telework Week
From Government Computer News:

If anyone is unaware that federal employees are interested in teleworking, the results of last month’s National Telework Week might get the point across.

A total of 39,694 people participated in the program by working from home at least two days during the week of Feb. 14, and 86 percent of them were feds, according to the National Telework Exchange.

Join us Apr. 23 and 24 at 1 p.m. EST for Federal News Network's CX Exchange where we'll be hosting leaders and industry experts to get insight on how agencies are embedding CX into their missions. | Register today!

#2 Obama Outlines Energy Plan
From Wall Street Journal:

President Barack Obama, under pressure to respond to rising gas prices, proposed a basket of ideas for reducing U.S. dependence on oil, endorsing for the first time a plan backed by oilman T. Boone Pickens to subsidize purchase of trucks and fleets that run on domestically produced natural gas.

#1 Prolonged Government Shutdown Could Wither Confidence And Even Trigger Recession
From Huffington Post:

An extended federal government shutdown could devastate the U.S. economy by dealing a blow to Americans’ confidence, experts said Tuesday.

If lawmakers cannot reach agreement on a bill to fund the government by April 8, a broad array of federal programs will come to a halt.

John Palguta’s stories
#3 Senate considers deal to reduce confirmations
From Government Executive:

A measure that would cut the number of executive nominees needing full Senate confirmation from roughly 1,400 to about 1,000 is advancing in the Senate.

#2 Senior Executive Service’s quality threatened by budget crunch, complex hiring process, senators told
From Washington Post:

During a period when all federal employees have been asked to do more with less, including less pay than they expected, the government’s elite leadership corps is facing additional problems that could diminish its quality, number and effectiveness.

#1 Obama says spending deal close, Boehner doesn’t
From Associated Press:

A bullish President Barack Obama said Friday that compromise is close with Republicans on $33 billion in budget cuts, and he warned that without a deal the ensuing government shutdown would “jeopardize our economic recovery” just as jobs are finally being created.