Federal union calls on Congress to intervene in SBA’s planned office relocations

• A federal union is calling on Congress to intervene in the Small Business Administration’s planned office relocations. The American Federation of Government Employees said SBA’s relocations should all be paused, at least until the agency releases more information about its plans. SBA has been looking to relocate offices in Washington, D.C., Boston, Atlanta and Denver, along with several other cities. In a letter to congressional committee leaders this week, AFGE alleged that SBA has not fully analyzed how the relocations will affect public-facing services or the possibility of employees quitting. -- Drew Friedman
• A third audit wave is hitting the 8(a) program. The General Services Administration and the Small Business Administration are reviewing federal contracts with 689 firms for potential fraud. These 8(a) companies were among those suspended from the small business contracting and business development program by SBA earlier this year. GSA said in a release that it “will examine the noncompliant businesses’ federal contracts and refer suspected fraud to the Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice.” More details about the audit were not readily available. SBA initially suspended almost 1,100 8(a) firms in January, and by March the number of suspended firms dropped to just under 800. -- Jason Miller
• The Federal Labor Relations Authority is requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to reinstate telework for employees. The FLRA is upholding the third-party arbitrator's findings that HHS's removal of telework options violated a collective bargaining agreement for employees. The National Treasury Employees Union said HHS employees are unlikely to see immediate changes to telework arrangements. HHS has until Dec. 21 to appeal the FLRA's decision in a federal appellate court. The FLRA's ruling is the latest loss for the Trump administration in a series of decisions finding that it violated collective bargaining agreements. -- Silvia Oakland
• Military dependents in their early 20s will face health insurance premiums of nearly $900 a month starting in January. TRICARE Young Adult Prime premiums are jumping 12.5% to $893 each month, while Select premiums are rising 8.5% to $394 a month. The Defense Health Agency hasn't said what's behind the increase. The National Military Family Association said the costs are a financial burden for families and is urging Congress to let dependents stay on a parent’s TRICARE plan until age 26. Open enrollment runs Nov. 9 through Dec. 8. -- Rachel S. Cohen
• OpenAI is asking for the government's input to understand how artificial intelligence can uncover security flaws after the PHP vulnerability. AI models from OpenAI identified the vulnerabilities in the computer programming language PHP before they could be exploited. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is urging organizations to take immediate action but has not observed any exploitation of the vulnerabilities. OpenAI said more vulnerabilities are likely to emerge in the coming months. Additionally, the PHP Foundation is calling on government and public institutions to support the organization's mission to mitigate future incidents. -- Silvia Oakland
• Reduced staffing remains a top challenge at the Office of Personnel Management. After losing about 1,000 employees last year, OPM is now trying to sustain its work with fewer resources. A new report from OPM’s Office of Inspector General said it’s especially challenging as some teams face growing responsibilities. The staffing reductions are one of several top challenges for OPM heading into the new fiscal year. Also on the list are escalating insurance costs and customer service issues in the retirement office. OPM said it plans to conduct a skills gap analysis in 2027 to figure out how to align its reduced workforce with long-term strategic planning. -- Drew Friedman
• A Pentagon memo is laying out the road ahead for the military's new drone command. The Defense Department will stand up Autonomous Warfare Command, led by a four-star general, by next October. The team will use operational units as tech incubators and hold competitions and training exercises to decide which drones to pursue. The memo tells commanders around the world to figure out which drones will work best for their area and use them before they're officially ready. Pentagon leaders say they demand the "professional courage" to do business differently. -- Rachel Cohen
• The first cohort of employees in the General Services Administration Labs initiative saved or helped the agency avoid spending nearly $229 million over the last eight months. These 25 employees helped solve problems identified by other GSA employees. For example, the website rationalization team identified opportunities to decommission 34 websites and consolidate two others, helping the agency avoid spending an estimated $3.6 million a year. Another team, the Public Buildings Service fee review group, recommended a new fee structure that could generate about $195 million in additional annual fee revenue. GSA is expected to bring in a second cohort of employees in the coming weeks to work on a new set of challenges. -- Jason Miller

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