A court has temporarily halted plans affecting the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center
The Federal Drive with Terry GertonSummary
A court has temporarily halted efforts to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, prompting Congressman Glenn Ivey to raise concerns about broader issues affecting the federal workforce. Ivey reports that constituents are increasingly reaching out regarding difficulties with federal benefits, particularly from the IRS and the VA. He notes a rise in complaints over the past 18 months, especially related to IRS issues, and emphasizes the need to protect federal employees from potential attacks on their positions.
Ivey highlights the significance of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, which has been conducting vital research for over a century. He criticizes the Trump administration's attempts to depopulate the center and is working with Maryland's congressional delegation to extend the court's temporary restraining order against the closure. Ivey also seeks bipartisan support from Republicans, emphasizing that the closure of such facilities lacks justification and negatively impacts research and agricultural sectors.
The congressman expresses concern about the loss of federal employees and their expertise, which he believes undermines the government's ability to function effectively, especially in critical areas like technology and artificial intelligence. He plans to convene a roundtable to strategize on restoring protections for federal employees and improving agency operations. Ivey acknowledges the varying concerns among different federal labor unions but stresses a collective need to rehabilitate the merit system and ensure that federal agencies are staffed by individuals committed to serving the public and upholding the Constitution.
Show Notes
A court has temporarily stopped efforts to close the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. For Congressman Glenn Ivey, the dispute raises broader questions about congressional priorities, agency actions, and preserving the expertise government depends on to carry out its mission. He joins me now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
More from The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton
Agencies will soon get leeway to promote federal employees more quickly. That’s after the Office of Personnel Management published a final rule eliminating a longstanding “time in grade” requirement. Starting in January, employees will no longer have to serve in their current paygrade for a year before becoming eligible for a promotion. Federal News Network’s Drew Friedman discussed the changes in an exclusive interview with OPM Director Scott Kupor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pressing the Pentagon to explain how it will obtain cost and pricing data from defense contractors, including for contracts below a $10 million threshold. The lawmakers say recent changes could limit the department’s ability to negotiate fair prices. Federal News Network’s Anastasia Obis has more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
For many federal employees, the biggest retirement decision isn't when to retire. It's what to do with the money they've accumulated in the Thrift Savings Plan. To walk through the tradeoffs between staying in the TSP and moving to an IRA, I'm joined by certified financial planner Thiago Glieger of RMG Advisors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Many contractors assume cybersecurity enforcement begins after sensitive information is compromised. A recent settlement suggests the government may be focused just as much on whether contractors accurately represent their compliance in the first place. Here to explain what that means is Michael Volkov, CEO of The Volkov Law Group. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Coming up on the Federal Drive with Terry Gerton A recent Justice Department settlement sends a clear message to contractors: cybersecurity liability doesn't necessarily start with a breach A court has temporarily halted plans affecting the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. Congressman Glenn Ivey says the real issue is whether government is losing expertise and capabilities that can't easily be rebuilt Federal employees nearing retirement often get conflicting advice about what to do with their TSP accounts. Before making a rollover decision, it's worth knowing which factors actually matter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.