A group that advocates for federal employees involved in environmental matters has reported that the appeals backlog at MSPB now exceeds 1,100, with some of the cases dating to 2014.
Data compiled by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility show that more than 200 of those cases allege retaliation against whistleblowers, while the rest cover a range of disciplinary appeals and other matters appealable to the merit board. The board has had only one member and thus has been unable to issue decisions on appeals since January of last year, although hearing officers have continued to issue initial decisions.
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The group noted that while the White House has made two nominations, the Senate has not even scheduled confirmation hearings. Further, one of the nominees would replace the current member—whose term has expired but who is staying on under a special extension authority—and thus the preliminary work being done on the pending appeals could end up being of no use.
