FederalDaily - June 21, 2007

OMB Director Portman Resigns, Nussle Tapped as Replacement

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Rob Portman resigned June 19. President Bush has named as his replacement Jim Nussle, a former chairman of the House Budget Committee who helped engineer the Republican takeover of the House in 1994. Bush said Nussle “will use his expertise about the budget process to ensure that the taxpayers’ money is spent with respect and with restraint.” Portman, who served the past 14 months as OMB director, said he wanted to leave government service to spend more time with his family in Cincinnati. Nussle, who represented Iowa in the House for 16 years, rose to fame as part of the Gang of Seven GOP reformers. In one famous stunt, Nussle once put a paper bag over his head on the House floor to protest Democrats’ handling of overdrafts at the House bank. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., praised Portman. “Rob has a keen intellect and he has always demonstrated a willingness to work with members on both sides of the aisle in a civil and constructive manner,” Hoyer said in a statement. To see more, go to: http://majorityleader.house.gov/in_the_news/press_releases/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=1864

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GAO: Border Patrol Training Effective, But Challenges Lie Ahead

As the U.S. Border Patrol ramps up training to add 6,000 new agents over the next 18 months, the agency needs to ensure it has enough seasoned veterans to oversee the new recruits, according to congressional testimony presented by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) June 19.  GAO outlined its assessment of Border Patrol training programs as the agency prepares for the influx of agent-trainees. GAO said the current training program seems to be effective in teaching trainees what they need to know before they hit the field. Also, GAO said, the Border Patrol academy isn’t too expensive, training recruits at an average cost of $14,700 in FY 2006—which compares favorably to similar academies, such as the Arizona state trooper academy cost of $15,600. However, GAO noted that adding 6,000 new agents by December 2008, a 48 percent increase, will dilute the overall experience pool and strain the Border Patrol’s capacity to provide adequate field supervision and training. “The rapid addition of new agents along the southwest border, coupled with the planned transfer of more experienced agents to the northern border, will likely reduce the overall experience level of agents assigned to the southwest border,” GAO said. To see more, go to: www.gao.gov/new.items/d07997t.pdf

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TSA Retracts Military Leave Directive at Dulles

In response to criticism from a federal employees union, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rescinded a new policy at Washington Dulles International Airport that had required employees to submit their military leave requests at least two weeks in advance. The policy change comes after complaints were raised by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which represents about 4,500 Transportation Security Officers (TSO). The two-week notice requirement seemed to be forcing TSA employees to choose between losing their TSO jobs or being reported as absent without leave from their military commitment, AFGE National President John Gage said in a June 19 statement. The Dulles policy also appeared to violate Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, which protects members of the federal work force who are called to duty, Gage said. “This whole situation highlights one of the major problems at TSA—that there is no uniformity within the agency,” Gage said. To see more, go to: www.afge.org/index.cfm?page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=761 

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