Senators approve resolution to withhold their paychecks during future government shutdowns
15/05/2026 | 6 mins.
Senators have unanimously agreed to a resolution that would withhold their paychecks during future government shutdowns. The bipartisan resolution comes amid increasingly longer and more frequent shutdowns. Historically, lawmakers continue getting paid during a funding lapse, while many federal employees have to endure the financial strain of missed paychecks. The Senate resolution will take effect after the general election on November 3rd. It does not apply to the House. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
House lawmakers push to bolster the TSA budget
14/05/2026 | 5 mins.
House lawmakers are pushing to bolster the Transportation Security Administration’s budget by ending the diversion of airline ticket fees. Lawmakers on the Homeland Security Committee this week introduced a bill that would require the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee to be solely dedicated toward aviation and airport security. Since 2014, roughly $15 billion in fees have been diverted to the Treasury for deficit reduction. TSA officials have said allowing the agency to use all of the fee revenue would speed up airport security technology upgrades. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
DoD launches a department-wide review of the military legal system
13/05/2026 | 6 mins.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has launched a department-wide review of “all aspects of the military legal system.” Hegseth directed the Pentagon’s general counsel to evaluate legal programs across the services, compare them with one another and benchmark them against the Justice Department and criminal justice systems. Hegseth said the review “will result in recommendations to cut bureaucracy and make legal professionals more effective.” The announcement comes after Hegseth launched what he described as a “ruthless” review of how the military’s legal offices are organized as part of his campaign to move from what he calls “tepid legality” to “maximum lethality.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Veterans Affairs approves nearly $600 million in infrastructure improvements
12/05/2026 | 6 mins.
The Department of Veterans Affairs approved nearly $600 million in infrastructure improvements during the second quarter of this fiscal year. That’s just part of the nearly $5 billion the VA is spending on non-recurring maintenance this year. The spending is going toward updating infrastructure systems in medical facilities and building upgrades for elevators, electrical systems and boiler plants. The funding is also going toward preparing VA medical facilities for the rollout of a new Electronic Health Record system. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Federal government employment continues to decline
11/05/2026 | 6 mins.
Despite some hiring occurring across agencies, overall employment in the federal government is continuing to decline. That's according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS reports that in April, federal employment numbers decreased by another 9,000 jobs. Since peaking in October 2024, the federal sector's numbers are now down by 11.5% or 348,000 jobs.
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