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TSP Sees Huge Jump in Hardship Withdrawals – Plus the DorobekINSIDER’s 7 Stories

Emily Jarvis

On GovLoop Insights’ DorobekINSIDER:

But up front: A collection of stories for today…

GovLoop’s DorobekINSIDER interview with former GSA Administrator Martha Johnson got a mention in The Washington Post yesterday: Former GSA chief in charge during conference scandal pens new book. Government Executive also wrote about the interview: Ex-GSA Chief Releases Tell-All on Conference Spending Scandal.

You can hear the full interview… and you can buy her new book, On My Watch – Leadership, Innovation, and Personal Resilience.

The SEVEN stories that impact your life

  1. Hardship withdrawals from Thrift Savings Plans greatly increased during the government shutdown, reaching 8,200 withdrawals between Oct. 1 and 16. During this period, transfers between TSP accounts also rose, totaling 128,000 transactions over the two week period. The Federal Times reports that since the government’s reopening, adjustments to TSP accounts have returned to normal levels.

  2. Lauri Love, a British citizen, has been charged with illegally hacking into the U.S. government computer system and stealing confidential citizen and military data. The Federal Times states that Love and his accomplices have been breaking into the U.S. government computer network for the past year. Specifically, they targeted the computer systems of the Army, Missile Defense Agency, Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA. Love was recently arrested in England and is awaiting prosecution.

  3. House members are in the process of passing legislation that will reduce bonuses for VA employees by at least 14 percent. Currently, the VA pays out approximately $400 million in annual bonuses to its workers. The new legislation will limit this annual amount to $345 million through fiscal year 2018, as reported by The Hill. The reason for this cut in VA bonuses has less to do with budget limitations and more to do with reports that VA officials have been giving merit-based bonuses to employees with less than satisfactory performances.

  4. White House officials are increasing their lobbying efforts for the Senate confirmation of Rep. Mel Watt to serve as the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. President Obama nominated Watt six months ago, but since then Watt has faced staunch Republican opposition to his confirmation. Federal News Radio states that senior White House staff are reaching out to housing and financial industry leaders to push for Watt’s confirmation, and that Senator Harry Reid has thus far scheduled a procedural vote for Watt’s appointment.

  5. James Comey, the new director of the FBI, received support and warm praise from President Obama during his recent presentation to the FBI. The President acknowledged Comey’s extensive law enforcement credentials and emphasized that he is not only prepared for the job, but also equipped with a strong sense of right and wrong. Federal News Radio observed that Comey displayed that sense of right and wrong during his speech, in which he emphasized the importance of the FBI not abusing its power over citizens and acting independently of political forces and interests.

  6. A burgeoning problem for cyber security managers is that there is a lack of set standards regarding the necessary credentials and training that employees should possess. FCW reports that IT certifications offer a limited, weak bar by which to measure an employee’s expertise. The NIST has also produced a National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework that provides IT and cyber security managers with set guidelines for the training of employees. However, there still remains a lack of uniformity among government agencies regarding required credentials that is impeding the creation and growth of an effective cyber security workforce.

  7. The Supreme Court’s tradition of prohibiting cameras during its proceedings was highlighted at an event this past week hosted by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. The event showcased not only the court’s refusal to allow cameras, but also its tradition of not disclosing the public schedules of the justices or information on the court’s petitions or testimonies. The Washington Post notes that unlike other courts on the state level, the Supreme Court seemingly preserves tradition over demands for increased technology and transparency regarding its proceedings.

DorobekINSIDER water-cooler fodder

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