DOE PUSHES BUYOUT OFFER
The Department of Energy (DOE) is renewing its offer to federal employees of voluntarily resigning ahead of expected reductions in force, according to internal notice circulated to DOE staff on Monday, as per directions laid out in the president’s February executive order.
“The EO requires each Agency to contemplate its future state and the potential impacts of a
RIF. This is a difficult but necessary effort to make government more efficient and accountable,” the notice said.
It went on to add that “to mitigate the effect of potential involuntary separations,” a DOE Deferred Resignation Program would be immediately instituted, “which allows for employees to take needed time for future planning while continuing to be paid through the designated period.”
The memo sets an effective date for resignations of Sept. 30 and for retirements of Dec. 31. The offer will remain open until Tuesday, April 8. The memo clarified that certain public safety, national security, law enforcement and other “essential” employees may not be eligible. Those employees who opt to enroll in the program will be placed on paid administrative leave through the end of the
deferred resignation period.
SENATE HINGES BUDGET PLAN ON SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN
Senate Republican leaders could move as soon as Wednesday (April 2) to begin advancing a budget plan. Under a timeline being considered by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, the Senate would adopt its budget resolution before adjourning on April 11 for a two-week recess.
In order to make this work, the Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, an appointee who provides nonpartisan guidance on parliamentary procedure, will need to sign off on Republicans’ plans to use a tactic
known as the current policy baseline. This tactic assumes that all policies in place in the current year will continue regardless of scheduled expirations or phase-outs.
Senators believe they could secure such an affirmative ruling from the parliamentarian as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday. A positive decision is crucial because Republicans can’t finalize their budget resolution through this plan without parliamentarian
approval. If the parliamentarian rules against Senate Republicans on using the current policy baseline it would throw a wrench into the plan.
Thune and Senate Republicans are eager to show progress on the first step in a two-prong plan to advance a bill that would cover tax cuts, energy, defense and border policy. Thune wants to advance a new budget resolution that lets the House and Senate set their own spending cut
minimums, which would delay lengthy negotiations to resolve differences between the chambers and allow both the Hose and Senate to adopt the same budget resolution before the April 11 recess.
Number wise, the Senate’s budget resolution guidelines are expected to instruct committees to cut as little as at least $1 billion when lawmakers begin to draft legislation through the budget reconciliation process. Senators
could see a spending cut floor as low as $3 billion compared to the House floor floor of $1.5 trillion. The Senate won’t alter the House’s instructions to its own committees, including leaving untouched House Republicans blueprint for the Energy and Commerce Committee to slash $880 billion from its
jurisdiction. The Senate is also expected to aim for a higher defense number — $150 billion compared to the House’s $100 billion.
For more information on the Senate's budget resolution, see this article from Politico.
ECA will continue to provide details on the budget process as they develop. For more information, visit our website.
