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6 days ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Democrats are attempting to secure full collective bargaining rights for federal health care employees. A new bill from Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) would allow nurses, clinicians and other professionals at the Veterans Health Administration to negotiate with management over their workforce concerns. The bill has been introduced in the past.
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1 week ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to prioritize funding for more recruiting at the Coast Guard. Last year, the Coast Guard exceeded its recruiting goals for the first time since 2017. But the service is still 3,000 members short of its targeted enlisted goal. Lawmakers say the 2026 budget should seek to fill those gaps and return the Coast Guard to its full operational capacity.
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1 week ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
A federal court is putting a hold on the Trump administration’s plans to eliminate three small agencies. A judge at the US District Court in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction, putting a temporary hold on cuts to the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, which helps resolve collective bargaining disputes and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for U.S. libraries and museums.
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1 week ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Just over 7,800 federal employees retired last month, the lowest amount so far in 2025. The Office of Personnel Management said more than 33,500 federal employees retired in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 29,700 during the first three months of 2024. OPM's retirement backlog dropped to 16,700, almost 4,000 less than March.
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1 week ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Defense Secretary Hegseth has launched the development of a new National Defense Strategy — a major policy document that sets the Pentagon’s strategic goals and priorities. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, who played a key role in crafting the 2018 National Defense Strategy during Trump’s first term, will lead the new NDS effort.
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2 weeks ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
The international stock index I fund was the big winner among Thrift Savings Plan funds in April. Its monthly return was 4.16%. That also leaves it as the highest year-to-date, at an even 9%. The government securities G fund and fixed income investment F fund both also showed positive returns last month, at 0.35% and 0.39%, respectively.
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2 weeks ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Federal firefighters within the Defense Department continue to struggle with significant workforce shortages. The DoD has been operating below the minimum required staffing level for firefighters since 2019. That’s according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. GAO said the staffing gaps partially stem from worse pay and work schedules than those offered by local fire departments.
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2 weeks ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Federal News Network’s Tom Temin is retiring from his post as the host of “The Federal Drive.” In 17 years as host, Tom has spoken to federal employees and federal agency leaders alike. A role that has embodied the FNN mission to help federal leaders meet their mission. As Tom says farewell to his signature program, we look back at some of the guests that visited him in our studios in Washington, D.C. and Chevy Chase.
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2 weeks ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
Agencies received a record 1.5 million Freedom of Information Act requests in fiscal 2024. That’s according to the Justice Department Office of Information Policy’s latest summary of federal FOIA data. Agencies nearly kept pace by processing 1.49 million FOIA requests last year. Still, the governmentwide FOIA backlog increased to 267,000 cases by the end of fiscal 2024.
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2 weeks ago | 
federalnewsnetwork.com | Michele Sandiford
President Donald Trump has appointed new members to a group that will recommend reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Trump on Monday formally appointed 20 members to the FEMA Advisory Council. They include Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.), Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) and Robert Fenton Jr., the regional administrator for FEMA Region 9. The council is co-led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
