Business

New Bill Would Give Civilians in Combat Zones a Tax Break

Civilian federal employees serving in combat zones would get the same tax credit available to military personnel. By Kellie Lunney

Ideas

Why the Pentagon Should Reduce Its Civilian Workforce by 15 Percent

Failing to cut the civilian workforce will just end up hurting the military in the end. By Rep. Ken Calvert

Business

Gates’ Love-Hate Relationship with Bureaucracy

“Up close, Congress is truly ugly,” former Defense Secretary Bob Gates writes in his new memoir. By Tom Shoop

Business

New Feds, Military Retirees to Contribute More to Pensions With Budget Deal

Savings gained by tweaking the retirement benefits of both groups would amount to $12 billion. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Hagel to Cut Hundreds of Staff and Contractors for $1 Billion Savings

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says cutting 200 positions from his office -- and a lot of contractors -- will save about $1 billion by 2019. By Stephanie Gaskell

Policy

GOP Lawmakers: Cut Fed Benefits, Not Defense Spending

A new proposal wants to roll back the budget caps on defense spending, and replace them with scaled back pensions and benefits for federal employees. By Eric Katz

Business

Poll: Shutdown Skyrockets Public Opinion of Federal Workers

Confidence in federal workers hits five year high in a wave of shutdown sympathy, according to a new GWU poll. By William C. Adams and Donna Lind Infeld

Business

The Percentage of Veterans Working for the Government Reaches a 20-Year High

Federal agencies have been making a big push to hire more veterans since November 2009, when President Obama ordered them to make it a priority. By Amelia Gruber

Business

Senate Shutdown Deal Includes Back-Pay Measure For Furloughed Feds

Even if the legislation passes, it may be a while before furloughed civilians receive their paychecks. By Kellie Lunney

Threats

New Study Says Iraq War Led to Half a Million Iraqi Deaths

For every three people killed by violence in Iraq, two died as a result of conflict-crippled health care, water and transportation systems, a new study finds. By Marina Koren

Business

House OKs Bill To Pay Federal Workers On Time During Shutdown

The House unanimously approves legislation to pay federal employees who are working during the shutdown on time, but the White House says it will veto it. By Eric Katz

Business

DoD Acquisitions Staff Are Back to Work, They Just Can't Buy Anything

If the shutdown lasts, acquisition and contract employees face being furloughed again because they don't have any money to buy anything. By Bob Brewin

Business

Hagel Orders Most Furloughed Civilian Employees Back to Work

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is putting most of the 400,000 furloughed civilian defense employees back to work despite the shutdown. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

House OKs Retroactive Pay for Furloughed Workers

The House voted unanimously on Saturday to retroactively pay furloughed civilian workers. By Kellie Lunney

Business

New Bill Would Pay Furloughed Workers Retroactively

A new bill to pay furloughed civilian workers retroactively once the shutdown ends has bipartisan support in Congress and the White House 'strongly supports' it. By Eric Katz

Business

DoD Will Lay Off 6,000 Civilians if Sequestration Continues

Major cuts to civilian defense employees are imminent If Congress can't come up with a plan to reduce the debt and sequestration continues next fiscal year. By Eric Katz

Business

Pentagon To Provide Same-Sex Benefits Starting Next Month

The military will also allow troops to take leave to get married if they are stationed more than 100 miles from a state where same-sex marriage is legal. By Amelia Gruber

Business

How the Pentagon Found $1 Billion to Cut Civilian Furloughs to Just Six Days

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announces that civilian furlough days will be reduced from 11 to 6 days. Here's how he found $1 billion to pay for it. By Stephanie Gaskell

Business

Pentagon Cuts Furlough Days Down to Six

Defense managers found savings to avert additional mandatory unpaid days for civilian workers. By Kellie Lunney

Business

Obama's Intel Workers Need New Policies for Secrets, not Snitches

In the Snowden fallout, the administration should focus on developing a happier intelligence workforce, not outing insider threats. By Marc Ambinder