Federal Daily - June 26, 2008
DOJ Broke Civil Service Laws With Party-Based Hiring
Justice Department (DOJ) officials violated civil service laws by using “political
or ideological” factors when determining whom to hire for the department’s
elite Honors and summer intern program, according to a DOJ report released June 24.
A joint investigation by the DOJ Inspector General and the Office of Professional
Responsibility found that two senior DOJ officials rejected scores of young applicants
who had links to Democrats or liberal organizations when hiring for the Attorney
General’s Honors Program and the Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP), particularly
in 2006. The officials went so far as to reject SLIP candidates who listed membership
in the liberal American Constitution Society compared to the conservative Federalist
Society, the report said. The report noted that the hiring process was fundamentally
changed in 2002 when DOJ senior leadership assumed more control over the selection
of program candidates. Prior to that time, career federal employees within each DOJ
component administered the interview and selection process, the report said. Other
reports that look at different aspects of DOJ hiring are pending. “This report
and those to follow will serve as a reminder to future presidents—and future
congresses—that never again should blatant partisanship be made the crux of
the Justice Department’s hiring practices,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy,
D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. To see more, go to: http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200806/062408b.html or www.usdoj.gov/oig/special/s0806/final.pdf.
:: Back to Top ::
NTEU Urges Fed Reimbursement Rate Hike
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) called for an increase in the personal
vehicle reimbursement rate for federal employees after the IRS announced a hike in
the rate allowed for business use of personal vehicles. The IRS on June 23 increased
the allowable deduction from 50.5 cents per mile to 58.5 cents per mile, beginning
July 1 through the end of the year, IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman said. In a letter
to the General Services Administration (GSA), NTEU President Colleen Kelley urged
GSA to follow suit and increase the rate for federal employees. She noted that record
gas prices are placing undue financial hardship on federal employees who must travel
as part of their work duties. “I do not believe 58.5 cents a mile is sufficient
to cover the sharply rising gas prices, particularly for federal employees who use
their personal vehicles to travel significant distances,” Kelley said. “Federal
employees are, in essence, subsidizing the government when they drive on government
business.” Pending legislation in the House and Senate would raise the current
mileage reimbursement rate to 70 cents per mile, and would make that adjustment automatic
with no action necessary by GSA. To see more, go to: www.nteu.org/PressKits/PressRelease/PressRelease.aspx?ID=1296.
:: Back to Top ::
Bill Would Give Vets Greater Access to Dental Insurance
A bill, introduced on June 23 by Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., would provide veterans
with greater access to dental insurance. The bill—if it becomes law—would
allow the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a voluntary dental program
for all veterans, surviving spouses and certain dependent children who are enrolled
in VA’s health care system. Although VA does provide dental coverage under
some circumstances, the majority of people receiving care from the department do
not have access to dental care through VA, Burr said. The measure is modeled after
the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program, which offers military retirees the option to
purchase dental coverage under a private contract managed by DoD. “This legislation
would ensure that servicemembers and veterans are well-served and get to reap the
benefits of group rates and competition,” Burr said. To see more, go to: http://burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Press
Releases.Detail&PressRelease_id=1e6808e3-7ebe-4d74-9182-
63224519b4c5&Month=6&Year=2008.
:: Back to Top ::
|
