The Senate failed to act on nominees for several other posts important to the federal workplace before adjourning. Image: Mark Van Scyoc/Shutterstock.com
Just before Congress concluded its 2021-2022 session, the Senate confirmed Rob Shriver, OPM associate director of employee services, to become OPM deputy director. In his prior role his responsibilities included recruiting and hiring, pay and leave, labor relations, performance management, the Senior Executive Service, work-life, telework, and supporting government-wide diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts, OPM said.
He previously was OPM deputy general counsel for policy and assistant director for national healthcare operations during the Obama administration. He also has held positions with the health insurance marketplace authority for the District of Columbia, a private sector company involved in health benefit IT platforms, and the NTEU union, where he was an assistant counsel.
However, the Senate did not act on nominees for several other posts important to the federal workplace, meaning those nominations would have to be resubmitted in the new Congress. They include nominations for the FLRA general counsel position, another term for FLRA chair Ernest DuBester, to remove the acting status for MSPB chair Cathy Harris, and for one of the five TSP board seats.
Meanwhile, there were developments on several pieces of legislation that did not reach enactment but likely will arise in the new Congress.
* The Senate passed S-2793, to create a government-wide pilot project under which agencies could sublease underutilized non-excess real and related personal property to any person or entity including other federal agencies or agencies of local or state government. The proceeds would be put in a working capital fund to be used for maintenance, capital revitalization, and improvements to the real and related personal property at the subleasing agency. The bill is designed to build on a pilot program at NASA, which has generated revenue that was used to fund capital projects and facilities maintenance there.
* Also, two bills newly introduced in the House would codify elements of the Biden administration’s executive order on racial equity and support for underserved communities in government programs. HR-9609 would require each federal agency to establish an “equity action team” to coordinate that agency’s activities as well as an interagency working group to share best practices related to equitable collection and use of data; and HR-9610 would require that agencies prioritize improving the equitable provision of services in their strategic plans.
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See also,
The Process of Retiring: Last-Minute Changes
The Process of Retiring: Check Your Agency’s Work
FERS Retirement Planning Bundle: 2022 FERS Guide & TSP Handbook