FCW Insider: December 2, 2021
The latest news and analysis from FCW's reporters and editors.
Trade group warns of contractor workforce shortfall over vaccine mandate
A Professional Services Council (PSC) committee has forecasted potential workforce issues and billions of dollars in lost IT spend as the White House battles legal challenges to enforce a vaccine mandate for federal contractors.
New OPM ‘playbook’ supports government hiring surge
Agencies need to staff up to implement the bipartisan infrastructure law, OPM says.
Connolly presses for legislation on telework, internships and OPM
A new bill on federal internships would require interns be paid and create a central online source of information on federal internships, among other measures.
ICYMI: SATCOM shift to Space Force stalled under CR
The U.S. Space Force’s plans to absorb all of the military’s satellite communications, including nearly 700 uniformed personnel from the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, is delayed along with the rest of the military’s appropriation as Congress preps for a second continuing resolution in fiscal year 2022.
Quick Hits
*** The House of Representatives abandoned plans to vote on a stopgap funding measure ahead of a scheduled lapse in appropriations coming on Friday. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) blamed a Republican effort in the Senate to stall any continuing resolution that doesn't block funding for vaccine mandates affecting private businesses.
"It's incomprehensible to me that we can't pass a simple CR to keep the government open," Hoyer said on Wednesday.
Because of legislative rules, any temporary funding measure passed by the House would have to sail through the Senate via unanimous consent – but at least two Republicans have said they would withhold consent and force at least a nominal weekend shutdown while a CR is debated and passed.
"I think we'll get there, and certainly, nobody should be concerned about a government shutdown," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Tuesday.
*** The House did pass three bipartisan cybersecurity bills on Wednesday, including a measure instructing the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to produce a report on the cybersecurity of the nation's mobile networks and the use of encryption on networks and devices.