Commerce and Trade Get Nominees – Plus the DorobekINSIDER’s 7 Stories

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER

• A few weeks ago we talked with Deloitte’s Dan Helfrich about how feds view their leaders. To be frank, it isn’t positive. So how do senior execs feel? Deloitte and the Partnership for Public Service are back with another survey to answer that question.

The SEVEN Stories that Impact Your Life:

1. Obama has nominated Chicago business executive and fundraiser Penny Pritzker for Commerce Secretary, and economic adviser Mike Froman for trade representative, administration officials said. Federal Times reports the Senate must confirm both nominees.
2. All Thrift Savings Plan funds continued to post positive numbers through April, though, in most cases, at a slightly lower rate than in March, according to data provided by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. We will talk to Kim Weaver from the Thrift Savings Board on Monday. Only the F and I Funds reported higher return rates than in the previous month.
3. Republican lawmakers are pitching a bill to end the Federal Employees Health Benefits program. Rep. Dave Camp (R-Mich.) and six other members have introduced a bill that would require federal employees to use the insurance exchanges being set up under the Affordable Care Act. Camp wants that law repealed. But he said if other Americans have to abide by it, then the president, Congress and federal employees should too.
4. USDA will not have to furlough any feds. GovExec reports,the department was able to avert furloughs at FSA by freezing hiring, cutting discretionary operating and contract expenses and transferring unused funds from a conservation program to cover salaries, an Agriculture spokeswoman said.
5. President Barack Obama has signed into law a bill to end furloughs of air traffic controllers, despite his preference for a governmentwide solution to sequestration. The law lets the FAA transfer up to $253 million from other programs to keep controllers on the job. The agency resumed normal operations this weekend in anticipation of the bill becoming law. Lawmakers passed the measure Friday but there was a typo. Congress had to fix it before it reached the president. The FAA said furloughs led to 863 flight delays one day last week.
6. Sequestration is slowing down the government’s efforts to declassify old documents. The National Archives and Records Administration says the agency has reduced funding for releasing presidential records. NARA staff will continue to prepare documents for declassification, but not actually declassify them. NARA says staff will also be slower to respond to FOIA and special access requests. A NARA fact sheet was posted by the Federation of American Scientists. It says NARA had to cut $19 million out of its 2013 budget of $354 million.
7. And on GovLoop, you can now register for the May 15th DorobekINSIDER Live panel. This time around we are talking about the one year anniversary of the Digital Government Strategy. The free online webinar will feature government and industry experts.

Related Links:

• GovLoop’s Technology Hub
• Government Technology Year In Review
• Creating a Modern Workplace Environment

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