Government Executive

The legal fight over the Trump administration's federal hiring essay questions is still waiting on a ruling, even as the questions continue appearing in thousands of job postings. Erich Wagner reports: https://buff.ly/dV3Ytqe

Unions urge court to force ruling in ‘loyalty question’ lawsuit Three months after a hearing on whether to block federal agencies from asking four politicized essay questions of every federal job applicant, a federal judge still has not issued a decision.

ICYMI: Amid all the noise around the federal workforce, the public's view is a lot less negative than you might think. New surveys found most Americans see government workers as competent and believe they should stay out of politics. Sean Michael Newhouse reports:

Most Americans think government workers are competent and should be nonpartisan, according to recent surveys A survey from the Partnership for Public Service also found that a majority of Americans oppose the Trump administration’s changes to government.

A federal appeals court rarely takes up a case as a full bench. It just did in a challenge to the Trump administration's claim that some federal employees can be fired outside traditional civil service protections. Erich Wagner explains:

In rare move, full appeals court agrees to hear case challenging Trump’s ‘Article II’ firings Federal circuit courts typically hear cases via randomized three-judge panels, reserving review by the entire judicial bench for its most important cases.

Should politics play a role in who gets disaster aid or federal grants? Senators pressed FEMA and OMB nominees over concerns that government assistance could be influenced by partisan priorities. By Sean Michael Newhouse: https://buff.ly/wYgLE8b

FEMA, OMB noms grilled on alleged political sway in government assistance Democratic senators pointed to disparities between what states are approved to receive disaster funding as well as a proposal to require that political appointees approve grant awards to ensure they…

COMMENTARY: The federal government spends trillions on programs each year. Knowing whether they actually work, and getting those answers to decision-makers, is a different story.

The federal government has a major blind spot in how it evaluates programs COMMENTARY | Decades of design flaws have left agencies struggling to measure the impact of their major initiatives. It is time to move beyond compliance and build real, durable capacity.

A sweeping GOP VA bill is drawing pushback from unions and Democrats, who say it would weaken employee rights, expand privatization efforts and offset new benefits with cuts elsewhere. Erich Wagner reports:

GOP’s VA overhaul bill narrows some employees’ rights, spurs privatization, union says The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act also would cut some vets’ disability benefits and push the Veterans Affairs Department to bring back telework in some form.

Federal agency posts on X are seeing a sharp rise in engagement compared to last year, according to new research, alongside growing scrutiny of their tone and messaging. Sean Michael Newhouse reports here: https://buff.ly/W88MSMW

Federal agencies are getting more attention on social media — and more criticism Federal accounts are generating far more engagement on X than they did in the final year of the Biden administration, according to new research.

ICYMI: A Trump administration proposal would require federal employees to sign . Lawmakers are raising concerns it could silence and restrict what workers are allowed to say about government operations. Erich Wagner reports:

NDA proposal for feds draws scrutiny on Capitol Hill Rep. Raja Krishnamoorth, D-Ill., expressed “serious concern” about the Office of Personnel Management’s controversial proposal, including its impact on whistleblowers and employees who report…

Federal watchdogs are supposed to hold government accountable. A new GAO report found the system responsible for policing those watchdogs isn't always following its own rules. Sean Michael Newhouse explains it all:

Who watches the watchdogs? GAO finds flaws in inspector general oversight system President Donald Trump has fired nearly 20 IGs, and his administration last year put a hold on funding for the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency.

NTEU is suing the IRS after the agency allegedly ordered employees to remove union materials from their workspaces and confiscated items that remained. Erich Wagner reports: https://buff.ly/xrYOYBj

NTEU sues IRS over destruction of employees’ pro-union decorations The Internal Revenue Service last month issued a directive barring employees from posting flyers and other decorations related to the National Treasury Employees Union, which the union says violates…