FederalDaily - May 23, 2005

Reviewing Agencies for Elimination

Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan., introduced legislation last week that would create a commission to review non-defense, non-entitlement federal government agencies and programs and recommend to Congress a list of programs for elimination or realignment. Congress would then either approve or disapprove of the entire list on an up-or-down vote. The Commission on the Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies is modeled after the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission, which is charged with reviewing the closure and realignment of military installations. “It has become increasingly clear to me that Congress’ normal procedures cannot address the spending and waste problems that persist within our federal government,” said Tiahrt.

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Feds Polled on Job Factors

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Acting Director Dan Blair said a new survey shows that 91 percent of federal employees believe the work they do is important.On May 19, OPM released the results of the 2004 Federal Human Capital Survey, which OPM conducted to measure federal employees’ perceptions on issues related to the workforce. Blair also said the survey shows there is a strong perception that excellent performance is not properly recognized and that action is not taken against poor performers. Nearly 150,000 employees responded to the 88-question survey. This is the second such survey—the first was taken in 2002. For more on this story, see the upcoming May 30, 2005, issue of Federal Employees News Digest. To subscribe, click here.

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Update on IRS Modernization

Since the passage of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, the IRS has faced the challenge of simultaneously improving service to taxpayers, assuring taxpayers’ compliance with tax laws and modernizing its antiquated information systems. IRS’ most noticeable progress has been in its taxpayer service, a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said. Improvements in access to IRS by telephone, the accuracy of answers given to taxpayers and the growth of IRS’ Web site, have been noteworthy accomplishments, according to GAO. However, enforcement remains a high risk area because of the continued need to improve enforcement and make progress towards reducing the tax gap. Also, modernizing the agency’s business systems remains at risk because of the complexity of modernization activities and the need to avoid repeating the program’s history of schedule delays and cost overruns.

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Call for Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., called on Congress to end the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy during a May 19 House Judiciary Committee meeting. The committee was considering a bill to grant special immigrant status to 50 foreign translators who have been working with the American military. Nadler pointed out that under the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, 54 Arabic linguists have been dismissed from the armed forces for being gay. “The answer to our dire need for translators is not to give U.S. citizenship to Iraqis and Afghanis,” Nadler said, “but rather to stop discriminating against American citizens who are ready to serve their country.” Nadler is a cosponsor of H.R. 2293, which would repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

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