FederalDaily - March 28, 2007
Bill Would Offer Additional Benefits to Injured Veterans
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., introduced a bill March 26 that would ensure veterans who
suffer from combat-related injuries receive both their pro-rated military retirement pay and their
disability compensation. Under current policy, a servicemember with a combat-related disability—and
who served 20 years and one day—receives full earned retirement pay. But a member injured in
combat and medically retired with a 100 percent disability rating at 19 years and 11 months must forfeit
their retirement pay. If passed, the bill, the Combat-Related Special Compensation Act, would help
more than 23,000 injured veterans who are returning from combat zones. “Our service men and women
are forced into early retirement because of tragic combat-related injury experienced on the battlefield,” Reid
said. “When these heroic veterans come home they should receive the fair benefits they have earned
and rightfully deserve.” To see more, go to: http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=271332
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Feds Like Their Salaries, But Are Unsure About Performance Pay
Although a majority of federal employees may support the idea of a pay-for-performance system, they
are not really sure how it will operate once implemented, says a new report from the Merit Systems
Protection Board (MSPB). The report summarizes the responses of 36,926 federal employees who completed
an online survey in 2005. In general, a majority of employees are satisfied with the pay they receive
(60 percent) and more than 60 percent think that a performance-based system could increase their pay.
But the data also indicate that not even half of the participants trusted upper management to fairly
assess their performance and contributions (49 percent), or trusted them to refrain from favoritism
(42 percent) in management decisions. “So while federal employees appear to support the
concept of pay for performance, attitudinal changes must occur at the organizational level for this
type of system to work as well as possible,” the report said. To see more, go to: www.mspb.gov/studies/rpt_03-23-07_merit_survey_final5/survey.htm#ps
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Hearing to Probe Allegations of Misconduct at GSA
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing today into allegations that
General Services Administration (GSA) head Lurita Doan failed to follow proper procedures for awarding
federal contracts. The committee, chaired by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., will also look into allegations
that Doan attempted to intervene in contract negotiations and engaged in partisan political activities
on federal property. Waxman noted that questions have been raised regarding a January teleconference
in which Doan allegedly asked GSA officials to find opportunities to help Republican political candidates
in upcoming elections. Waxman said the issue has been referred by the GSA Inspector General to the
Office of Special Counsel for investigation under the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees
from engaging in partisan politics while on duty. Doan is scheduled to testify at the hearing. To see
more, go to: http://oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1224
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