This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ The Department of Homeland Security’s top watchdog is investigating the growing use of facial recognition technology in the security screening process at U.S. airports, a Democratic lawmaker announced on Friday.  Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and a bipartisan group of senators previously sent a (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ President Trump on Friday signed a memo barring agencies from reaching agreement on new union contracts in the final days of a president’s term and seeking to unwind contracts that he claims were designed to hamstring his return-to-office mandate, though it’s unlikely that (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ Rep. Gerald Connolly, D-Va., on Thursday called for the Trump administration to provide a list of White House employees receiving a temporary Top Secret security clearance without complete vetting, arguing the president has “disdain” for the background check process.  “Forgoing background checks poses (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ Senate confirmation hearings Thursday for two top intelligence jobs revealed a growing gap between Trump administration nominees and Democratic lawmakers, not just in terms of policy, but in perceptions of reality. Arguments about facts and history crowded out discussion of how the United (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ Like many Pentagon chiefs who have come before him, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is standing up a task force to support his top priority for the department. In this case, it’s rooting out policies, education, and training that relate to diversity-equity-inclusion efforts—including a (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ Federal agencies across government are gathering and submitting lists of recent hires and, in some cases, asking those employees to explain their backgrounds and justify their roles.  The culling of names follows a directive from the Trump administration, through the Office of Personnel (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ Democratic senators this week warned that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., President Donald Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, intends to fire potentially thousands of federal employees.  “I was struck by your comments in our meeting last week where you made it (more…)

This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article. <![CDATA[ Following the haphazard rollout Tuesday of a plan the White House claimed offered “buyouts” to nearly the entire federal workforce but ultimately looked more like extended paid leave prior to leaving government, federal employee groups, Democratic lawmakers and good government experts are warning (more…)