Trump claims big jump in VA trust scores, but data shows modest gains
Patient satisfaction rates have improved steadily at VA in recent years, but Trump insists his changes have reformed the entire department.
Oversight
VA cancels plans for employee satisfaction survey this year
VA has conducted a poll of federal employees every year since 2006, but won't distrubute one this year amid multiple reforms to the workforce.
Postmaster General says he’s been cleared in federal probe
The Justice Department declined to comment. But it is standard practice for department officials to reveal to defense lawyers that their investigations have concluded without charges rather than make that announcement themselves.
Biden requests $773 billion for Pentagon, a 4% boost
Defense Department spending would see a 4% increase in fiscal 2023 under a plan released by the White House, significantly above what administration officials wanted last year but likely not enough to satisfy congressional Republicans.
USPS doubles number of EV delivery trucks in initial order
The Postal Service formally placed its initial $2.98 billion order for 50,000 vehicles with at least 10,019 of them being battery-electric vehicles.
Jackson heading for likely confirmation despite GOP darts
In her final day of Senate questioning, she declared she would rule “without any agendas” as the high court’s first Black female justice and rejected Republican efforts to paint her as soft on crime in her decade on the federal bench.
IRS unit gets no funds to enforce sanctions on rich Russians
The White House request to give the IRS $30 million for tracing financial activities associated with sanctioned people appeared to run afoul of broader reluctance by Republicans to put more money into IRS enforcement actions.
Jackson pushes back on GOP critics, defends record
Jackson responded to Republicans who have questioned whether she is too liberal in her judicial philosophy, saying she tries to “understand what the people who created this law intended.” She said she relies on the words of a statute but also looks to history and practice when the meaning may not be clear.
Many VA workers remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, but few have been fired
Department officials say only a handful of employees have been dismissed for refusing the vaccine mandate.
Biden: Russia mulling cyberattacks on US
“As I said, the magnitude of Russia’s cyber capacity is fairly consequential, and it’s coming,” President Joe Biden said March 21.
Veterans Affairs eyes relaxed hiring rules as staff turnover slowly worsens
New authorities given to VA hiring officials during the pandemic are set to expire soon.