Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 7d

“This is not the final step, but we're getting close to the final steps of undoing the entire system of oversight within the executive branch." - Andrew Bakaj, chief legal counsel for Whistleblower Aid

www.govexec.com/oversight/20...

Hegseth, Vought actions heighten fears about continued inspector general independence

Lawmakers from both parties and good government groups have argued that recent moves by the Trump administration will chill whistleblowing and watchdog offices.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 9d

Feds are facing not just the prospect of no pay during a govt shutdown - even if they continue working - but also Trump's threat of mass layoffs.

Still, some see a shutdown as a rare opportunity for Congress to push back on the president's "lawlessness."

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

Despite layoff threat, some feds see government shutdown as an opportunity to push back on Trump’s ‘lawlessness’

Federal employees and members of Congress who spoke at Monday’s press conference pointed out that agency reductions in force can proceed regardless of whether there’s a government shutdown.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 14d

Also, she cited a board game in a footnote

Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 14d

Despite ruling against them, Judge Ana Reyes praised each of the fired inspectors general in her opinion:

"While the court cannot order plaintiffs reinstated, it can give them the recognition their decades of government service demands."

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Fired watchdogs can’t be reinstated despite Trump’s ‘obvious’ law breaking, court decides

A federal judge determined the removed inspectors general could not show irreparable harm.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 17d

Trump disbanded a committee of experts who advised the Census Bureau. Members of the committee met anyway.

"What impact will we have? I don't know. But what I can say for sure is that if we don't do this, then we won't have an impact,” the chair said.

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Census advisory committee meets despite Trump administration nixing it

A Trump executive order directed the cancellation of “unnecessary” councils that advise on agency operations.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 22d

Adding to the upheaval at CDC...unions representing agency employees said that the Trump admin is barring workers w/ disabilities from requesting telework — a common reasonable accommodation that agencies are generally legally required to provide

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

CDC ends telework for employees with disabilities, union says

Telework is a common example of a reasonable accommodation, which agencies are legally required to provide to workers with disabilities with limited exceptions.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · 27d

The Housing and Urban Development Department has made prospective awardees for grants to address homelessness submit three separate applications - the most recent one is due today.

The funding these orgs are competing for expires in a little more than 2 weeks.

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HUD asked grantees to apply for soon-to-be-expired funding 3 separate times. Democrats want a watchdog review.

President Donald Trump recently replaced the acting head of the Housing and Urban Development Department’s inspector general office, which would look into the matter.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Sep 9

Social Security's Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, which helps lawmakers w/ casework (e.g. when constituents aren't receiving benefits) has been reduced from around 50 employees to as few as three, according to a former employee

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

Social Security office that helps members of Congress assist their constituents slashed by up to 94%

A spokesperson said that Social Security's congressional affairs work is continuing in offices across the agency.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Sep 3

While detailing how staffing shortages have hindered past disaster recovery efforts, a new GAO report flags that FEMA is facing the ongoing hurricane season with even fewer employees, largely because of Trump's voluntary separation incentives for feds

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FEMA’s staffing shortages have hindered past disaster recovery efforts, GAO says. Now the agency has even fewer workers

A watchdog report found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has had to reassign employees working on ongoing disaster recovery to respond to new disasters and deploy staffers to perform jobs ...

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 26

While Trump has suggested a mid-decade census that excludes undocumented migrants, experts are worried about his admin's preparations for the 2030 national population count.

“My census antennas are up, and I’m a bit worried about what we might see,” one said.

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Trump’s focus on excluding migrants from census is just one of several issues with preparations for 2030 count, experts say

Advocates criticized the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate census advisory boards and warned that government funding fights could snarl planning.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 22

In what I thought was going to be a boring report, the GAO looked at the process for federal employees to change their names (e.g. bc of marriage) + found they're struggling to get through the process

One civil servant said they cried multiple times

www.govexec.com/oversight/20...

‘I cried so many times’: Watchdog warns that agency guidance for changing employee names is lacking

While the four agencies that the Government Accountability Office analyzed generally had required procedures, nearly all employees that investigators interviewed reported issues navigating the process...

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 21

An FBI agents association argued that the lack of due process afforded to officials who were recently fired has "left special agents with no explanation for this deviation from law and policy other than political retribution.”

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Fired FBI officials were not afforded due process rights, agent association argues

Five agents were fired earlier this month, exacerbating concerns about politicization at the law enforcement agency.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 15

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has accused Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick of breaking the Hatch Act (ethics law) over a Fox Business interview in which he urged people to vote against NYC mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani

www.govexec.com/oversight/20...

Good government group alleges Commerce secretary violated federal ethics law

Several government officials have run afoul of the Hatch Act in recent years for making political comments in their official capacities during media interviews.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 15

Even before a shooter who was "discontent" w/ the COVID vaccine fired hundreds of rounds at CDC's HQ, employees have had to contend w/ layoffs and RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine actions and rhetoric.

One employee told me: “It’s just too much. This year has been too much.”

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‘It’s just too much’: CDC employees have faced layoffs, vaccine misinformation and now — violence

A shooter who recently attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s headquarters was upset about the COVID-19 vaccine, police said.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 13

Planned layoffs at a Labor Department office that ensures contractors are complying with anti-discrimination law are being canceled, but the agency will still be restructured and Trump administration officials have previously discussed reversing the agency's mission

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Layoffs canceled at federal contractor oversight office, but questions remain about agency restructuring

Employees at the Labor Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs received a notice that they will get new job assignments rather than be laid off.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 12

Per a new survey:

- Fewer Americans (but still a majority) support a nonpartisan civil service

- 18-34-year olds went from being the least trusting of the federal govt to the most

- There was a 24 pt. drop in the % of Americans who think the govt is wasteful

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

Fewer Republicans view a nonpartisan civil service as essential, survey shows

The Partnership for Public Service’s survey also found that trust in the federal government increased from 23% in 2024 to 33%, driven largely by more positive views from GOP respondents.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 6

DHS announced that it's removing age restrictions to become an ICE agent.

Secretary Noem said there’s “no longer a cap on how old you can be” and that 18-year-olds could sign up.

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

Trump administration cuts age limits for ICE agent recruits

The Homeland Security Department is using a recent funding infusion to hire more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with the goal of deporting more migrants.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Aug 1

“They're clearing the cupboard and they're putting in place a system to restock the shelves with a class of people that are focused on their loyalty as opposed to their competence and character,” said Partnership for Public Service's Max Stier

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At least 148,000 federal employees have left government under Trump, good government group reports

The Partnership for Public Service acknowledged that it’s difficult to track the number of civil servants who have departed because the Trump administration has not publicized much of the information.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 29

Without much notice, Trump has replaced two acting leaders of agency inspector general offices (independent government watchdogs), including one who had accused administration officials of stonewalling an investigation www.govexec.com/oversight/20...

2 independent watchdogs quietly replaced by Trump

The former acting Education inspector general had accused administration officials of stonewalling an investigation, and the ex-acting Commerce IG was removed from that position for a second time.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 28

Since the Trump admin has started reducing staff at IRS and Social Security, many House Dems are having more problems doing constituent casework.

www.govexec.com/management/2...

‘Bounce-back emails and no-replies’: IRS and Social Security workforce reductions are hurting constituent service, House Democrats argue

IRS has shrunk by 25%, mostly through voluntary separation incentives, while the Social Security Administration plans to shed 7,000 employees this fiscal year.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 25

“It sounds like a wonky and boring topic, and yet [the census] is perhaps the most essential thing we can ensure that we have to get right.”...quote from my story about Census' plan to hire fewer temp workers for the 2030 count

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Census is planning on hiring fewer temporary workers for the 2030 count, watchdog reports

An official from the nonprofit Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said the smaller workforce, among other proposed changes, could contribute to undercounts of certain groups.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 23

A new Partnership for Public Service survey found that a narrow majority of Americans oppose Trump's layoffs of federal employees, yet the good govt group urged changes to anti-RIF messaging saying "there's not a lot of sympathy for civil servants losing their jobs"

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Most Americans oppose RIFs, but a good government group says anti-layoff messaging needs to be improved

A Partnership for Public Service researcher said that there needs to be more focus on the consequences of laying off federal employees versus the government workers themselves because “we found throug...

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 22

Former federal science leaders warned that a rumored 2nd rescission bill targeting science agencies as well as proposed budget cuts, efforts to shrink workforces and grant terminations amount to a "systematic dismantling of [U.S.] research infrastructure"

www.govexec.com/management/2...

Former federal science leaders warn Trump proposals could cripple U.S. research

Experts decried potential rescissions of funding for science agencies as well as cuts to government researchers and grants.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 18

To cap off this newsy week...the Census Bureau has long struggled with staffing shortages. I interviewed employees who say Trump's government workforce cuts are making things worse.

One individual won't take sick leave because of the work that could build up.

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...

Census has long struggled with staffing shortages. Employees say Trump is making it worse

Voluntary separation incentives and the government hiring freeze have left remaining staff on the hook with more work.

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Sean Michael Newhouse @seanthenewsboy.bsky.social · Jul 15

New from me: An internal VA memo shows how the department is requiring more scrutiny of disability accommodation requests as part of Trump's push for federal employees to work in-person

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Internal Veterans Affairs memo shows plan to scrutinize disability work from home accommodations

A department press secretary said the new policy is to ensure reasonable accommodations remain "necessary, reasonable and effective," while the American Federation of Government Employees contended it...

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