Government affairs

Gowdy in as Oversight Committee chair; Budget process underway; Congress passes VA accountability and whistleblower bills; Senate committee hearing on STOP Act; Senate committee approves nomination of Vought for OMB; Activists from Pennsylvania in DC

With the Trump administration’s first full budget request for Fiscal Year 2018 out, Congress now turns to its onerous task of pulling together its own budget principles and will decide whether it includes some, all or none of the White House's priorities.

The Senate Budget Committee voted on June 14 to advance Russell Vought’s nomination to the position of deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget.

On June 13, the House of Representatives passed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, a bill that weakens longstanding civil service protections for VA employees.

On June 13, Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) took over as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, replacing Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who announced he would leave Congress on June 30.

More than 100 letter carrier activists from Pennsylvania traveled to Washington, DC, June 6 and 7 to educate their members of Congress on issues of importance to letter carriers, including NALC’s priority resolutions.

Trump’s FY2018 budget; Vote-by-mail measures; Utah USPS bill; NALC members from New York on the Hill; House bill aims to restrict official time at the VA; House passes official time reporting bill; Resolutions update; Congressional schedule

A Senate committee held a hearing on a bill to require merchandise mailed to the U.S. to be subject to Customs review and to require advanced electronic tracking of all packages and large envelopes mailed to the United States.

The Vote By Mail Act aims to amend the Help America Vote Act to require states to mail ballots to all eligible voters at least two weeks in advance of a federal election.

The Trump administration’s budget plan for Fiscal Year 2018 proposes cuts for the Postal Service and for active and retired federal employees.