Survey shows citizens have more trust in some government services than others

People seeking government services generally trust the agencies responsible for them to do a good job, according to a Biden administration survey of more than a quarter of a million people. The vast majority of consumers seeking two-thirds of the government services surveyed said they trust the appropriate agency. Those services include applying for a replacement Social Security card, accessing Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits and quickly finding government information online. Consumers gave lower trust scores when filing a housing discrimination complaint or getting Census Bureau statistics online.
It will be some time before the full Senate takes a vote on next year’s defense authorization bill. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-Ill.) told Bloomberg Government that the measure, which his committee approved this month, will not be voted on before the August recess. He hopes it will happen in September. If it does, it still won’t leave the House and Senate much time to reconcile their many differences before the end of the calendar year, when many key DoD authorizations expire.
Replicating the WeWorks model for sensitive, compartmentalized information facilities could increase small business participation in defense contracts. Small businesses often lack the resources needed to build and maintain secure facilities, creating a significant barrier to entry for companies seeking to work with the Department of Defense. Giving small businesses access to unused SCIF space or leveraging redundant General Services Administration facilities could increase small business participation, increase competition, and provide new opportunities for the DoD. The number of small businesses working with the DoD has been steadily declining since 2011.
A new bill could increase the number of paid military leave days available to federal employees who are also members of the Reserves. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) has introduced the Supporting Employees in the Guard and Reserve Act, which would increase the number of paid military leave days from 15 to 20, with the additional days carried over to the next year. Pennsylvania Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) has introduced a similar bill in the House of Representatives.
Small businesses will soon be able to protest orders under certain multiple-award contracts. The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council finalized a rule, effective Aug. 29, that sets out procedures for suppliers to file size and socioeconomic status protests of multiple-award contracts that are partially reserved for small businesses or include small business reserves. The rule also applies to orders placed under multiple-award contracts. The final rule does not apply to GSA schedules. The council said the new rule could affect as many as 15,000 orders per year.
The Office of Personnel Management is releasing data on how long it takes to hire federal employees. On average, agencies took 101.2 days to hire a federal employee in 2023. That’s a day longer than in 2022 and more than four days longer than in 2021. OPM hopes that by shedding light on this data through a new dashboard, it will streamline the entire hiring process. OPM released the dashboard as part of the Strengthening the Federal Workforce initiative as part of the President’s Management Agenda. The administration released a third-quarter update yesterday. OPM found that of the three mission-critical professions, agencies are hiring HR workers the fastest, averaging just over 70 days, and IT workers the slowest, averaging just over 94 days.
The Defense Intelligence Agency is looking to create some chemistry between large and small companies. DIA plans to hold a speed-dating event for contractors in November. In a new public service announcement, the agency said the goal is to connect prime contractors with qualified small companies. DIA is looking for at least 40 large prime contractors to participate in the networking event. The event will cover subcontracting opportunities and provide a platform for small companies to understand the needs and requirements of DIA projects.
Senate lawmakers are preparing legislation to create centralized cybersecurity training for agencies. The Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee yesterday approved the Federal Cyber Workforce Training Act. The bill directs the White House cybersecurity director to develop a plan to create a federal cybersecurity training institute. The committee also has legislation that would create a White House commission to oversee federal cybersecurity regulations and legislation to ensure federal agencies work together to defend health care networks from cyberattacks.
Customs and Border Protection is expecting a surge in retirements among its employees who secure U.S. ports of entry. CBP expects at least 2,200 officers to retire in 2028. That’s significantly more than the roughly 500 employees it normally loses to retirement each year. The agency plans to add staff in coming years to make up for those retirements. But the National Treasury Employees Union says CBP is already short nearly 6,000 officers before the retirement wave hits. “Right now, what they’re getting funded for is not the number they need,” said Doreen Greenwald, NTEU national president.