Washington, D.C

D.C.’s federal workforce fears Schedule F

Published

2 years ago

August 17, 2022

D.C.’s federal workforce fears Schedule F

Former President Trump’s plan to weed out authorities staff who aren’t aligned along with his insurance policies has struck concern within the native rank and file.

What’s taking place: Federal unions and different organizations supporting staff are pushing again towards the so-called Schedule F plan and extensively supporting laws that might shield the federal government’s merit-based employment system.

Why it issues: Schedule F would make it simpler to fireplace as many as 50,000 federal staff deemed to have some affect over coverage, Axios’ Jonathan Swan reported, and a lot of these staff are based mostly in D.C.

Context: The metro space is dwelling to roughly 300,000 federal staff. Partnership for Public Service CEO Max Stier tells Axios that Schedule F “is related for the complete [U.S.] workforce…however goes to have the next proportional concern right here,” as a result of extra of the federal management is native.

Zoom in: James Sherk, a former Heritage Basis fellow who ascended to Trump’s Home Coverage Council, masterminded Schedule F. He plumbed U.S. code for methods to fireplace federal staff deemed a part of the resistance so that they may very well be changed with social gathering loyalists.

The plan would upend the nonpartisan civil service in place because the late 1800s. And the affect may go nicely past typical conservative targets such because the Environmental Safety Company and IRS, additionally touching the Justice Division, State Division, and Pentagon.

What they’re saying: Firing profession feds and instituting patronage authorities would additional politicize the federal workforce, which some argue is already too politicized.

In truth, the prospect of Schedule F is re-igniting calls to lower appointments to create a extra professionalized workforce — one argument being that the sluggish Senate affirmation course of can hinder authorities effectiveness.

“If a political [appointee] tries to do one thing that’s unlawful or unethical, the profession employees wants to have the ability to step up and say ‘Hey, that is mistaken,’” says Nationwide Federation of Federal Workers govt director Steve Lenkart.

Between the traces: The federal authorities competes with the non-public sector for expertise, and there’s concern that Schedule F would push staff to hunt different jobs or retire early.

Roughly half of the federal workforce is eligible for retirement, in keeping with Lenkart.
“You 100% have to fret about crucial expertise leaving,” Stier says.

Zoom out: Authorities employers general have struggled to maintain up with the non-public sector throughout the pandemic, and are having a tough time hiring.

Menace stage: Even when Trump doesn’t win again the White Home, Schedule F may change into a actuality. Quite a few different potential GOP White Home contenders are backing it.

“We have to do extra to carry the D.C. forms accountable,” former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo instructed Axios. “Nice staff have to be rewarded and underperformers proven the door.”

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Washington, D.C

Friday, the week’s hottest day in D.C., was humid, too

Published

4 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Friday, the week’s hottest day in D.C., was humid, too

Friday could not be blamed for its searing heat and steamy humidity. After all, it is summertime, it is the District, and this is the hottest month of our hottest season.

Perhaps 100 degrees proved the key figure in any serious discussion of the day’s conditions. In D.C., perhaps one of the more generous ways of responding to Friday’s high temperature of 98 was to note that was not 100.

Even at only 98 degrees, however, Friday was the hottest day here since June 26, when it was 99. It was also 9 degrees hotter than the average high — 89 degrees — for July 5 in the capital.

It is true that the actual temperature did fall a bit short of three digits, a level that generally wins instant acceptance as thermally severe. But the feels-like temperature, also an important characteristic of conditions, cleared that hurdle with ease.

For a couple of hours Friday afternoon, the heat index reached 108 degrees. It stood at 108 degrees just before 3 p.m. and just before 5 p.m. And when it was not 108 at two other afternoon hours, it fell only a degree below that at 107.

Memories of attending the fireworks in Washington on the Fourth of July, often include recollections of the weather. The Fourth on the Washington Monument grounds has often been a day that is celebrated amid substantial swelter.

But the Fifth, which was Friday, surpassed it in discomfort to become the sultriest day of the week and month thus far.

The high temperature on the Fourth was only 94, warm, certainly, but perhaps not the sort of heat that residents or tourists will incorporate in their tales of enduring the severity of Washington weather.

And the heat index apparently did not reach the three-digit mark Thursday, according to available National Weather Service data.

So if the Fourth was the day to inspire, perhaps Friday was the time to perspire.

But, it is difficult to conceive of conditions that differ greatly from those of Friday.

It is summer and this is Washington, and we are surrounded, immersed and enveloped in the time and the place — for hotter, or for perhaps slightly less hot.

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Washington, D.C

Vandals tear down Gaza hostage photos outside of Rep. Brad Schneider's Capitol Hill office

Published

9 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Vandals tear down Gaza hostage photos outside of Rep. Brad Schneider's Capitol Hill office

WASHINGTON — Vandals on July 4 tore photos of hostages in Gaza off the wall outside of the Capitol Hill office of Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illlinois, his office said on Friday.

A photo Schneider posted on the social media website X showed how the ripped-off pictures littered the hallway of the Cannon House Office Building. The hostages were kidnapped Oct. 7 in Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

The vandalism comes in the wake of protesters loudly demonstrating outside of Schneider’s Highland Park home in the middle of the night last weekend.

Schneider is one of the most pro-Israel members of Congress.

Schneider said in a statement, “My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway. This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy.

“I’ve been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags. It’s not just happening at my office in Washington, D.C.,” Schneider said.

“More than 700 miles from the Capitol, my home was targeted last weekend at 2:30AM by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns and screaming antisemitic chants. The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4th, not calling for peace, but rather condemning the United States of America,” he said.

“These actions don’t advance peace. Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.”

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Washington, D.C

Washington DC sports betting handle reaches record $35.4m in May

Published

15 hours ago

July 5, 2024

Press Room

Washington DC sports betting handle reaches record $35.4m in May

The sports betting handle increased by 183 per cent year-on-year.

US.- Washington DC’s sports betting handle was $35.4m in May, up 183 per cent compared to May 2023, establishing a new record for the District. Revenue was $5.4m, also a new high, and tax receipts reached $544,600.

FanDuel’s new sports betting app for the DC Lottery dominated the market, taking 84 per cent of Washington DC’s sports wagers. The DC Lottery saw wagers of $30.6m, with $29.7m coming through the new FanDuel app and $898,671 from the old GambetDC app. Caesars followed with $2.7m worth of wagers. BetMGM took $1.6m.

The Washington DC Council 2025 budget paved the way for a competitive online sports betting market ending FanDuel’s position as the only platform available citywide. The Budget Support Act, which still needs mayor Muriel Bowser’s signature and a passive 30-day congressional review, will allow BetMGM (Nationals Park) and Caesars Sportsbook (Capital One Arena) to expand their current offerings beyond their brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and respective exclusion zones.

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