Fedweek

House leaders on civil service issues had hoped to act before the recess on a bill to reform many USPS practices, including splitting postal employees and retirees into a separate program within the FEHB while requiring postal employees to enroll in Medicare Part B, among other changes. However, momentum for turning that “discussion draft” into a bill and passing it through the committee level before the break has slowed, as mailers and other interest groups have started raising objections to the potential for higher price increases. Questions also are being raised regarding the health care provisions, which could have unknown impact on all FEHB enrollees by splitting the risk pool. On the Senate side, there has been a similar slowing of a several civil service reform efforts, most focusing on disciplinary practices and whistleblower protections at the VA in several bills that leaders had hoped to advance to floor votes by the recess. Also pending is a separate package of miscellaneous changes government-wide, including for example restrictions on the use of administrative leave, paid time off without charge to other forms of leave.