Federal Daily - March 6, 2009

Obama Memo Targets A-76 Process, Government Contracting

President Obama has issued a memorandum to agency heads that signals the start of an effort to reassess the A-76 privatization process and take a hard look at the way the government hands out contracts to the private sector. In the memo, Obama indicates that the A-76 process may have gone too far in contracting-out inherently governmental activities that should be performed by federal employees. “The line between inherently governmental activities that should not be outsourced and commercial activities that may be subject to private sector competition has been blurred and inadequately defined,” the memo said. “Agencies and departments must operate under clear rules prescribing when outsourcing is and is not appropriate.” The memo also called for a new approach to the way the government awards contracts to private businesses. Obama directed Peter Orszag, head of the Office of Management and Budget, to draft new contracting rules by the end of September. “This administration intends to stop contracting out government services that should be performed by federal employees,” said American Federation of Government Employees President John Gage. “We hope this is the end of the era of privatization during which agencies were forced to contract out regardless of cost or quality, and at the expense of integrity and accountability of federal programs.” To see more, go to: www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Memorandum-for-the-Heads-of-Executive-Departments-and-Agencies-Subject-Government-Contracting or www.afge.org/Index.cfm?Page=PressReleases&PressReleaseID=960.

:: Back to Top ::

NTEU Applauds Attention to Civilian Workforce Pay Disparity

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) welcomed comments by Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., concerning a Fiscal Year 2010 pay disparity issue that would have civilian federal workers receiving a smaller pay hike than military servicemembers. In his FY 2010 budget, President Obama called for a 2.9 percent pay raise for members of the military and only a 2 percent raise for the federal civilian workforce. Lynch, speaking at NTEU’s annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., told attendees that attempts to revolve the federal pay issue were “fluid—in the right direction,” according to a March 4 statement from the union. Lynch is chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia. NTEU President Colleen Kelley reiterated the union’s longstanding commitment to pay parity between the federal civilian workforce and members of the military, and said she is seeking discussions with the White House on the topic. On other matters, Lynch said he supported collective bargaining rights for employees of the Transportation Security Administration and promised prompt action on a measure to provide federal paid parental leave. Lynch said his subcommittee intends on March 26 to mark up legislation—introduced by Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.—that would provide federal employees with four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. “This is an important piece of unfinished business” for the nation, Lynch said, “and we’ve got to act.” To see more, go to: www.nteu.org

:: Back to Top ::

Army National Guard Over Strength

The Army National Guard is over strength and the Air National Guard has met its end strength for the first time since 2002, National Guard leaders told Congress on March 3. National Guard and Reserve leaders offered new troop numbers at a hearing on recruiting, retention and end strength before the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee. “This is a new era for us,” said Lt. Gen. Clyde Vaughn, director of the Army National Guard. “We’ve never been in this position with this kind of strength. This is the strongest Army Guard we’ve ever had.” The Army Guard has 366,500 members, and the Air National Guard has 106,700. “We’re in a position for the first time to shape our force in a way it hasn’t been in years,” Vaughn said. Vaughn cited other factors that could further improve recruiting and retention, including cutting the time between swearing in a recruit to having the recruit fully trained, and improving the predictability of deployments. To see more, go to: http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/MP030309/
Vaughn_Testimony030309.pdf, or http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/MP030309/
Wyatt_Testimony030309.pdf.

:: Back to Top ::