Carten Cordell

Washington, D.C., United States

Managing Editor at FCW

@GovExec managing editor, @NextgovFCW, @wbjonline, @fedscoop, @FederalTimes, @MedillSchool, @AU_CMJN & #NPFPaulMiller alum, Retweets ≠ endorsements.

Articles

House legislation seeks to add protections for probationary employees

1 week ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

Some House members are seeking to push back against widespread layoffs, firings and deferred resignations across the federal government with new legislation. A bill put forth by Rep. Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., on April 10 as the Protect Promoted Workers Act (H.R. 2880). It proposes to add more protections for federal employees who have entered a probationary period due to promotion to a competitive service, excepted service or Senior Executive Service position.
Efforts to boost VA recruitment and promote BOP mental health get another push from House members

1 month ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

In a time of uncertain federal spending, House members are trying again to bolster personnel resources at two different agencies plagued by staffing shortages with new benefits. Reps. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., reintroduced the Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act (H.R. 2303) on Monday to help whittle down a 200,000-case backlog of veterans’ claims appeals by offering the attorneys processing them new recruitment and retention incentives.
Stopgap bill includes permanent pay raises for firefighters

1 month ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

The budget package that helped avert a government shutdown on Friday when it passed the Senate in a 54-46 vote also ensured that federal wildland firefighters split between the U.S. Forest Service and the Interior Department can retain pay raises originally established with the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law.
A pair of House bills aim to give fired feds relief

1 month ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

As reports of firings and reductions in force continue to emerge from agencies across the federal government, a legislative push back on Capitol Hill has commenced. A pair of bills from Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., and Derek Tran, D-Calif., introduced on Feb. 26, aim to provide some relief for federal employees recently let go by the Trump administration, albeit with different focuses.
Labor board member retires, leaving a razor-thin quorum

1 month ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

The Merit Systems Protection Board will be down a board member as of Friday, leaving its quorum on a knife’s edge. Board member and Biden appointee Raymond Limon will retire on Friday nearly three years after being confirmed to the quasi-judicial agency by a unanimous Senate voice vote, the board said in a statement.
Bipartisan bill returns to help feds and postal workers close retirement gap

1 month ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

A bipartisan group of House members is taking another crack at legislation designed to help some federal employees make catch-up contributions to their retirement accounts. Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., David Valadao, R-Calif., Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., and Don Bacon, R-Neb., reintroduced the Federal Retirement Fairness Act on Monday, picking up the mantel for former Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., who put forth the legislation at least four times before leaving Congress in January.
Trump administration environmental justice removals cut across agencies

2 months ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

More reports surfaced this week of personnel cuts within multiple agency offices, with employees tied to environmental justice programs going on administrative leave. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, and several news outlets confirmed, that the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights had placed around 170 employees on administrative leave.
Breakneck-pace of executive orders and lagging, unclear guidance leave contractors guessing

2 months ago | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

The breathless pace at which the Trump administration has issued new executive orders, paused contract and grants spending and potentially upended the federal workforce has left government contractors largely waiting to see if their programs are moving forward, without a lot of answers from agency officials.
VA wants hiring freeze exemptions for 300,000 roles

Jan 24, 2025 | nextgov.com | Carten Cordell

The Veterans Affairs Department has identified critical roles that officials said this week are essential and therefore should be exempted from a federal hiring freeze instituted by the nascent Trump administration. In a memo signed on Jan.
VA wants hiring freeze exemptions for 300,000 roles

Jan 24, 2025 | govexec.com | Carten Cordell

The Veterans Affairs Department has identified critical roles that officials said this week are essential and therefore should be exempted from a federal hiring freeze instituted by the nascent Trump administration. In a memo signed on Jan.