Author Archive

Eric Katz

Eric Katz
Eric Katz writes about federal agency operations and management. His deep coverage of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Postal Service has earned him frequent guest spots on national radio and television news programs. Eric joined Government Executive in the summer of 2012 and previously worked for The Financial Times. He is a graduate of The George Washington University.
Finance

Congress averts a shutdown, setting up a lame duck fight in December

A stopgap funding bill is heading to Biden's desk as Congress staves off a pre-election shutdown.

Finance

Bipartisan deal looks to punt shutdown threat into December

States and cities don't need to fear federal worker furloughs in the near future.

Finance

Senate Reaches Deal to Avoid Shutdown, Punts Threat for 10 Weeks

Lawmakers agreed to drop controversial provisions and set up a new deadline for a lame duck Congress.

Management

USPS to Slash 50,000 Positions in Coming Years

But the postal service is delivering election ballots at a much faster clip.

Finance

Covid Aid Program Gave 'Shuttered Venues' Funds They Didn't Ask For

Poor oversight riddled the emergency initiative, leading to $1.5 billion in questioned awards.

Management

USPS: It's Up to Mailers to Comply With State Laws on Abortion Pills

The Postal Service says it will not crack down on the mailings, while the Biden administration promises to use the mail to expand access to the pills.

Management

Supreme Court Deals a Major Blow to the EPA, and All Federal Agencies

A decision from the court's conservative majority limits agencies' ability to write new rules on major issues. The case centered on a challenge brought by West Virginia and other states.

Management

FEMA Chief: Top Priority Is Ensuring Adequate Staffing For Emergencies

Employees and managers alike continue to warn lawmakers about the impact that growing demands will have on the agency's ability to respond to disasters.

Management

Forest Service Rushes to Hire Enough Firefighters Ahead of Wildfire Season

Stakeholders warn shortages again threaten the Biden's administration's approach to combatting the fires.

Workforce

Congress Is Heading Toward Yet Another Stopgap Spending Bill This Week to Avoid a Shutdown

A measure to fund agencies through March 11 will allow appropriators to get over the finish line on full-year spending, top House Democrat says.

Management

Biden to Launch Federal Covid-19 Testing Centers, New Federally Run Vaccination Sites

The White House again ups federal agency deployments to confront the pandemic and the surging Omicron variant.

Management

As States Weigh Employee Vaccine Mandates, Feds Struggle With Mass Testing for Unvaccinated

The Biden administration is requiring at least weekly COVID-19 testing for the unvaccinated, but the White House has offered few details about how that will happen.

Management

With Shutdown Deadline Looming This Week, Lawmakers Look to Buy More Time

Vote on a one-week funding extension is expected this week, ahead of Friday's deadline. Lawmakers could eventually end up including Covid relief in the package.

Management

Census Pulls Back on Year-End Delivery Commitment, Pushes Decision to Career Staff

Rushing in an effort to truncate the data processing timeline has "some risks," bureau official admits.

Management

'Nobody Knows What's Going On': Census Workers Decry Chaos as Trump Administration Challenges Court Order

Census enumerators say they have received inconsistent messages and workloads in recent days despite court order to keep count going.