Federal Managers Association

For more information on PSRW, please visit: www.excelgov.org/ psrw.

CONGRESS EXAMINES SSA BACKLOG, FMA SUBMITS TESTIMONY

On April 23, the House Ways and Means Committee examined the current state of the disability case backlog at the Social Security Administration (SSA), as well as the growing wait times the agency’s field offices are experiencing. The nearly four hour hearing featured SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue, as well as several disability and employee groups.

Several of the Committee Members gave opening statements detailing the state of the backlog and the dire need to fix it. Ranking Member Jim McCrery (R-La.) reiterated a previous statement made by the Commissioner that reducing the backlog is a “moral imperative.” At the beginning of 2002, SSA had 468,262 pending hearing requests. In six years, that number increased to over 750,000, despite the fact that dispositions are at record levels. Although clericals in hearing offices prepared 472,168 cases in fiscal year 2007, claimants submitted almost 557,970 new requests during the same period.

While the Commissioner thanked the Committee for its bipartisan support of the agency in securing additional funds in FY08, he urged timely passage of the President’s budget for FY09. Another Continuing Resolution (CR) like the ones in years past would cause agency contraction and a possibly hiring freeze or even furloughs. Despite the fact that SSA has been underfunded for the last fifteen years, several Members at the hearings denounced the Commissioner for not doing more to bring down the backlog. The hearing grew tense as Members peppered Commissioner Astrue with questions regarding the long wait times in their districts.

The Federal Managers Association submitted written testimony on the hearing, reiterating its stance that adequate funding and subsequent increases in staff levels will be the only way to deliver the necessary services to the American public in a timely manner. “With the aging Baby Boom population, it is reasonable to assume that receipts will continue to out-pace dispositions. As the requests for hearings continue to rise, more is demanded from the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review staff on all levels,” FMA stated in its testimony. “The bottom line is that the hearing offices lack sufficient staff to process the work on hand much less even begin to work on new cases. It should be evident that under the best case scenario, the current staffing levels in ODAR barely maintain the status quo. That means that the backlog stays the same and processing times continue at an estimated 500 days.”

For a copy of the testimony, please visit: www.fedmanagers.org.

*************************************************************  

WHAT’S HAPPENING ON CAPITOL HILL?  

EXPANSION OF FEHBP BENEFITS TO DEPENDENTS UNDER DISCUSSION

The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing on April 29 examining the feasibility of expanding the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) to dependents of federal employees up to age 25. Chairman Danny Davis (D-Ill.) introduced H.R. 5550 which would increase the maximum age to qualify for coverage as a child under the health benefits program from 22 to 25 years of age. Currently, FEHBP covers 8 million federal employees, retirees and their dependents offering 283 plans.

Daniel Green, Deputy Associate Director at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), offered the Administration’s perspective on this proposed legislation. Mr. Green informed the Subcommittee that 22 year old dependents of federal employees who lost FEHB coverage are not without an option. These dependents may enroll in Temporary Continuation of Coverage (TCC) where they bear the full cost of the insurance premiums. Enrollment in TCC can continue for up to 36 months following loss of eligibility (or up to the age of 25). Mr. Green also discussed how TCC allows dependents the option to enroll in lower cost plans because they are purchasing individual coverage. OPM estimates the average FEHB premium for self-only coverage in 2008 is $433 per month.

OPM argued that increasing the age of eligibility for dependent children would raise total premium costs for the government and all enrollees. Green informed the Subcommittee that in 2005, OPM reviewed the potential costs associated with adding coverage for dependent full-time students up to age 25 and found it would increase FEHB costs in excess of $200 million annually, with $160 million borne by the government and the remainder paid by enrollees through increased premiums. OPM estimates that 245,000 dependents of federal employees are between 22 and 25 years of age. In 2006, the OPM Actuaries Group estimated the cost of extending FEHB benefits for unmarried full-time student dependents under 23 years of age at approximately $1,640 per member per year, or $135 per month. Mr. Green stated in his testimony that it is premature for the Administration to state a position ahead of a possible substitute for the current version of H.R. 5550.

The unions also offered their perspectives on this issue. National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen Kelley focused on the number of young adults who are removed from their parents’ FEHB family policy after they turn 22 are frequently in college, unemployed or with an employer who does not offer any benefits. NTEU wholeheartedly supports Rep. Davis’ legislation and is concerned with the number of uninsured Americans in this age group. NTEU cited a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report (GAO-08-389) that revealed 1.7 million college students age 18 through 23 were uninsured in 2006. Ms. Kelley thought it was absurd for TCC enrollees to pay the full cost of their premiums and offering this as an option is not much of a benefit considering a young adult over the age of 22 could look at policies outside of FEHBP. Kelly highlighted in her testimony a number of states that require coverage for dependents in private plans up to age 24, 25, 26 and even 30.

American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President John Gage hammered home to the Subcommittee, “It must be acknowledged that employee-pay-all insurance products are not employee benefits.” Gage cited a different GAO report (GAO-07-141) that offers a possible remedy for the government’s share of employee, and their dependents, insurance premiums: collecting subsidies for providing retirees prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D. The GAO report indicates prescription drug prices are responsible for the bulk of insurance premium increases. The GAO report listed data from the five largest FEHBP plans, which cover two-thirds of the FEHBP population, from 2003 to 2005, indicating prescription drug spending has increased premiums 34 percent. According to the report, had OPM utilized the Medicare Part D subsidy, premiums would have been reduced 2.6 percent in 2006.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) questioned OPM’s cost estimate of increasing the age of eligibility when those age 22-25 are likely a healthy population. Norton noted that the federal government has an older workforce and extending coverage to young adults expands the risk and spreads the costs across the entire pool.

Please visit the Subcommittee Web site, http://federalworkforce.oversight.house.gov/, for more information on the hearing.  

TSP TRADING RULES IN EFFECT, BOARD ASKS FOR ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITIES

Starting May 1, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participants are limited to two interfund transfers per calendar month, according to regulations published in the Federal Register by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB). However, TSP participants would be allowed unlimited transfers into the Government Securities Investment (G) Fund as a “safety net” in the event of market instability.

The new regulations come on the heels of concerns that a small number of TSP participants were frequently trading large sums within the International (I) Fund, causing unprecedented costs to all enrollees. In 2006, the TSP incurred transaction costs of over $15 million, compared to $6.7 million in 2005 and $2.2 million in 2004. Most of these expenses occurred within the I Fund where the trading of $12 billion worth of securities cost the plan $13.8 million. FTRIB identified that roughly 3,800 participants, out of the nearly 4 million in the plan, were responsible for the increase in transaction costs.

“The TSP was not created to be the Charles Schwab for the federal community,” commented FMA National President Darryl Perkinson, who also sits on the Employee Thrift Advisory Council (ETAC). “With nearly 4,000 people causing transaction costs of over $15 million in 2006, allowing for two transactions a month with the ability to retreat to a safety position makes financial sense while still allowing for investment opportunity.”

In other TSP news, the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia held a hearing on April 29 on a legislative proposal that would automatically enroll newly hired federal employees into TSP. The proposal would also change the TSP default investment fund from the G-Fund to an age appropriate multi-investment Life Cycle Fund or the L Fund.

Currently, the Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act of 1986 (FERSA) mandates TSP as an opt-in contribution retirement savings and investment plan for federal employees, postal employees and members of the uniformed services. Employees who want to participate in TSP must complete and submit a contribution election form to their respective agencies. Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Executive Director Gregory Long informed the Subcommittee that FERSA requires agencies create an account for non-contributing Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) employees where they deposit an amount equal to 1 percent of an employees’ basic pay into their account. Because of this, 14 percent of all FERS employees, or 278,000 employees, and 73 percent of uniformed service members do not participate in the government’s retirement system and are missing out on their agency’s matching 3 percent contribution into their TSP account.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) was perplexed by the high percentage of FERS employees not making contributions to TSP, commenting, “I would like to know who they are, their GS ratings, and where they work.” Norton requested Long to conduct another survey to determine why this is a factor.

To encourage adequate retirement savings rates for federal employees, ETAC Vice Chairman Richard Brown proposed that under automatic enrollment, the TSP would contribute 3 percent of base pay on the participant’s behalf, which is matched by their agency along with an additional 1 percent agency contribution. Presently, the guaranteed 1 percent agency contribution to an employee’s retirement account is directed to the low yielding G Fund instead of a higher performing investment account. If an employee is unhappy, the joint proposal gives an employee 90 days to opt-out of the TSP and they can receive a full refund and avoid a tax penalty.

Additionally, both Long and Brown asked the Subcommittee to consider making the L Fund the default TSP fund for new federal employees. FRTIB reviewed TSP’s data and concluded that of the participants whose contributions were initially invested in the G Fund during the first quarter of 2004, only 26 percent submitted a request to move their money to other funds by the end of the following calendar quarter. Mr. Long told the Subcommittee that they tracked the same group through the first quarter of 2007 and discovered that 48 percent never made an investment decision after they enrolled; these employees remained fully invested in the G Fund. A whooping 62 percent of these participants are under 40 years of age, implying that the returns on these employees’ investments over the course of their career will not be enough for retirement. FRTIB’s concerns were summed up when Mr. Long stated, “As the fiduciaries of the TSP, the Board Members and I believe favorable Congressional consideration of these proposals would enable the Plan to continue to meet the needs of employees as reliance on the TSP for retirement income security continues to increase over time.”

Chairman Danny Davis (D-Ill.) was concerned that automatic enrollment would lower revenue for the Treasury because contributions are made with pre-tax dollars, reducing taxable income. On the other hand, these contributions are taxed once an employee retires and draws money out of the account.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) stated his frustration with the TSP Web site and implored Long to find a way to improve the Web site, indicating this as one of the culprits that has driven away employees participating in TSP because it is difficult to navigate. Rep. Cummings requested FRTIB send the Subcommittee a letter within a week setting a date for an overhaul of the TSP Web site.

Information on the hearing can be found at: http://federalworkforce.oversight.house.gov/.

USE OF SICK LEAVE FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE PROPOSED

Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va.) introduced legislation on April 28 to coincide with National Volunteer Week that will allow federal employees to use two days of annual sick leave per year for qualified community service that is performed either for an organization participating in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) or prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Representative Moran remarked on his proposal, “This legislation is about providing our civil service with a benefit on par with what is being offered by some of the more desirable workplaces in the U.S. It’s not only a recruitment and retention tool but a way to develop a happier, healthier and more highly skilled workforce.”

Nationwide, one-third of large U.S. companies have formal time-off policies in support of employee volunteer involvement, according to the Business for Social Responsibility.  More than 40 percent of small companies also offer a similar benefit.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has endorsed the legislation and President Colleen Kelley commented, “This bill is an easy way for the federal government to add thousands of additional volunteer hours to provide hope and assistance to members of our communities who need a hand.”

Please visit http://moran.house.gov/ for more information.

IG REFORM BILL SLAMS THROUGH THE SENATE

The Senate unanimously passed legislation, the Inspector General Reform Act of 2007, designed to improve efficiency and accountability within the federal government. S. 2324, introduced by Senators Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Me.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) amends the Inspector General Act of 1978 to require each Inspector General (IG) to be appointed without regard to their political affiliation but on their integrity and their abilities.

The legislation mandates the President inform Congress in advance regarding his/her rationale for removing or transferring an Inspector General. A provision in the legislation establishes the annual base pay rate for IGs and prohibits cash awards or bonuses for these civil servants. Presidential appointed Inspectors will be paid at Level III of the Executive Schedule in an effort to prevent agencies from discouraging candidates with lower pay. The President’s budget submission must state how much money is requested for each IG office, as well as the funding level the IG requested for their office to make the process more transparent and dissuade agencies from interfering with the work of an IG through budget cuts. Another feature of the bill establishes a Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that are pervasive in the government. This Council will be empowered to recommend a possible replacement in the event of an Inspector General vacancy.

Agencies are required to maintain a direct Web link to the agency’s Inspector General Office which will have IG reports and audits accessible on the Web page within three working days of its release. To ensure Offices of Inspector General are in compliance, the legislation mandates the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on the progress made by agency IGs.

The lead sponsor of the legislation, Senator McCaskill remarked after the bill’s passage, “If we’re not looking for ways to cut down on government waste, we aren’t doing our job here in Congress. This bill is key to preserving the IGs’ role as government watchdogs and making sure they can do their job of rooting out waste in this country.” Senator Lieberman explained the merits of S. 2324, stating, “This bill is good government legislation at its best. It will strengthen the role of inspectors general as an independent investigative force, making sure that taxpayers' dollars are spent efficiently and effectively while also guaranteeing that IGs themselves be held accountable.”

Information on S. 2324, or the version passed by the House of Representatives, H.R. 928, passed on October 3, 2007, can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/.

DISPARITIES DAMPEN CIVILIAN DEPLOYMENT INITIATIVES

The House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee released a report entitled, Deploying Federal Civilians to the Battlefield: Incentives, Benefits, and Medical Care which found there are real and perceived differences in compensation, incentives and medical care between federal employees deployed to combat zones from various agencies with different job classifications. The report examined the pay policies at the Departments of Defense (DOD), Energy (DOE), and State.

The Subcommittee report concluded that special pay rates for General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System employees who perform the same jobs or operate under the same conditions may not be fair. Pay and benefit discrepancies could be exasperated if pending legislation is passed that would enhance incentive and benefits packages for certain classes of federal employees deployed in combat zones. When personnel from various agencies are working on a similar assignment as a team, compensation and benefit differences can be a problem. The Subcommittee proposed that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) develop an incentive and benefits package that would be applicable to all federal civilian employees dispatched to a combat zone with the suggestion that legislative recommendations be sent to Congress.

The report included a Congressional Research Service (CRS) study which showed employees at DOD, DOE and the State Department serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are eligible to receive their base salary in addition to 70 percent in differentials for danger and hardship service. The annual ceiling on base and premium pay for all employees deployed in the two war-zones is $212,100. The report concluded, “Tomorrow’s potential civilian volunteers will well note how today’s deployed members are supported and compensated for these risky assignments.”

The Subcommittee report also focused on medical care for civilian federal employees operating in Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently, civilian federal employees from across the government with the exception of Defense employees must receive approval from the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to utilize DOD military treatment facilities (MTF) in combat zones if there is a “compelling circumstance.” The Subcommittee requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) survey federal agencies that deploy civilians to combat zones to gauge their ability and willingness to ask the Under Secretary of Defense’s permission to allow their injured or wounded employees the right to receive treatment at a DOD facility.

Another area of concern was the problem federal civilian employees have with navigating the worker’s compensation process without any assistance from federal agencies. The report recommended DOD provide education and training to all employees who are responsible for helping wounded civilians obtain medical treatment. Also, the Subcommittee believed it would be prudent for DOD to assign a caseworker to each civilian federal employee who is wounded in a combat zone. The report voiced concerns regarding the number of federal civilian employees exhibiting such symptoms as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how many patients may not get approval for treating their mental health disorders under the federal employees’ health insurance.

Please visit http://www.house.gov/hasc/ to view a copy of the Subcommittee report.

************************************************************  

WHAT’S NEW IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH?

SEVERAL CHANGES AS THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION DRAWS TO A CLOSE

Oversight of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) National Security Personnel System (NSPS) passes from Program Executive Officer (PEO) Mary Lacey to Deputy Program Officer Brad Bunn effective May 11. Ms. Lacey will remain with DOD and has accepted a position with the Missile Defense Agency as Deputy Program Director of AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England remarked on Ms. Lacey’s tenure administering NSPS, “I asked Mary Lacey to take on what was a very challenging and rigorous assignment. She has spent the last four years working in civilian human resources, away from her primary career-track, and she has been outstanding.”

Mary Lacey’s replacement, Brad Bunn was named Deputy PEO in June 2004, and also serves as the Director of the Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service (DCPMS). Deputy Secretary England commented on Bunn’s appointment, “Brad Bunn has been an integral leader for NSPS over the last four years… I’m confident that under his continued leadership, this will be a seamless transition as we move forward with program implementation.”

For more information on Lacey’s departure from NSPS and Bunn’s appointment, please visit: http://www.cpms.osd.mil/.

President Bush announced on April 18 his decision to nominate Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Steve Preston as the next Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to replace former Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

Preston has experience both in the government and private sectors. During his tenure at SBA, he managed loan guarantee programs similar in structure to those run by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), having substantial experience disbursing loans to small businesses and homeowners who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. He also has twenty-five years worth of management experience in the financial services industry. President Bush remarked on Preston’s role as Secretary, “He will play a central role in helping address our nation’s housing challenges… He will be entrusted with one of the most rewarding jobs in the federal government: helping our fellow Americans have a place to call home.”

On his nomination as Secretary of HUD, Preston commented, “Our solutions must restore confidence in our markets, while not erecting barriers to future entrepreneurs, investors and home buyers.” Mr. Preston faces a daunting task of finding a remedy to the housing market malaise afflicting the nation.

Bush’s nomination announcement can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/.

General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Lurita Doan submitted her resignation on April 30. GSA Deputy Administrator David Bibb will serve as acting administrator.

It was reported at a White House press briefing on April 30 that Ms. Doan was pressured by the Administration to resign. White House Press Secretary Dana Perino would not comment on this allegation.
 
Ms. Doan encapsulated her achievements as the head of the agency, stating, “The past twenty-two months have been filled with accomplishments: together, we have regained our clean audit opinion, restored fiscal discipline, re-tooled our ability to respond to emergencies, rekindled entrepreneurial energies, reduced bureaucratic barriers to small companies to get a GSA Schedule, ignited a building boom at our nation's ports of entries, boldly led the nation in an aggressive telework initiative, and improved employee morale so that we were selected as one of the best places to work in the federal government.” Doan believes she has left the agency in a better place than it was before her arrival. “I have great faith in the abilities of GSA’s dedicated team.”
 
During Doan’s brief tour at GSA, she has been dogged by allegations for not providing enough oversight over federal contracts and accusations of political activities occurring in her office before the 2006 election cycle.

For more information, visit: http://www.gsa.gov/ and http://www.whitehouse.gov/.

OPM LAUNCHES INTERAGENCY TELEWORK WEB SITE

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Linda Springer announced on April 21 the launch of a user-friendly telework Web site, developed in conjunction with the General Services Administration (GSA). Director Springer declared the Web site is intended to “allow Government employees and managers a greater understanding of telework.” In extolling the virtues of this new web portal, Springer stated, “This site will certainly contribute to continued growth of telework in the Federal Government.”

This improved telework Web site allows federal employees to read and download recent telework related questions by searching through a database where users can input questions. If the Web site does not answer a user’s query, they can directly ask a telework expert through the online portal. This Web site also has online telework training modules, policies related to telework and information regarding emergency closures. Also, the internet site has information on individual federal agency telework policies and information on how to contact an agency’s telework coordinator.

Visit www.telework.gov to learn more about the government’s telework program.

AGENCIES RECOGNIZED FOR TELEWORK INITIATIVES

On April 22, the Telework Exchange hosted a town hall meeting at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. This telework event concluded with a Tele-Vision Awards Program hosted by John Palguta, Vice President of Policy with the Partnership for Public Service (PPS). This award ceremony recognized excellence in government telework programs. All but one of the award recipients were from federal agencies. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) received an Excellence in Telework Leadership award for their telework program because of the wide use of the agency’s telework program and their efforts to conduct bi-annual surveys on their telecommute program where they canvass management and staff.

The General Services Administration (GSA) New England Region received an award for Innovative Approach of Technology to Support Telework. This regional office established a telework committee to stand as an impartial oversight group that supports the telecommute program and provides mediation between management and employees. The Committee is composed of GSA’s services and staff offices, human resources, regional counsel, information technology support group, the union and the office of equal employment opportunity (EEO). Each employee also receives a laptop computer and training before they begin to telecommute with annual refresher courses.

Another federal agency recognized for their telework program was the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which was awarded the Innovative Application of Technology to Support Telework award for their automated telework application that allows employees to use a Web-based telework approval applications where employees register for their telecommute program, the days they would like to work remotely and record their teleworking hours. The system then notifies managers of pending applications and managers can log in to approve, disapprove or modify their employees’ request. This technology product allows managers to run reports on their employees’ telework activities.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Trademark (USPTO) Assistance Center Work at Home Program was awarded the Best New Telework Initiative. This program allows the Trademark Assistance Center (TAC) call center employees to work at home. As a result, the program has experienced a zero percent attrition rate while boosting efficiency.

Agencies were not the only award recipients. Arleas Upton Kea, Director of the Division of Administration in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) received the Telework Driver Award for her launch of a telework pilot program.

For more information on the Telework Exchange Town Hall event, visit: http://www.teleworkexchange.com/.  

************************************************************  

GET INVOLVED AT THESE EVENTS!  

DATES SET FOR 17TH ANNUAL MID-YEAR CONFERENCE

Please join us for FMA’s 17th annual Mid-Year Conference and Management Training Seminar, August 6 - 9 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! This year’s Conference, Where Leadership in Government Began, will be held at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel. Conference attendees will receive a special room rate of $138/night. You can make reservations by calling the hotel at 215-238-6000 and be sure to ask for the special rate for the Federal Managers Association Mid-Year Conference. Reservations must be made by July 4, 2008. The special rate is available August 3 – 10, 2008.

FMA members will be able to register for the Conference in the next coming weeks via FMA’s Web site at www.fedmanagers.org. Fees for the Conference are as follows:

Early-bird: $325 (until June 27, 2008), Regular: $375, (until July 18, 2008), and Late: $400 (until August 1, 2008). Please continue to check www.fedmanagers.org for the most up-to-date information!

************************************************************

Long Term Care Partners, LLC, FMA Corporate Partner.  Long Term Care Partners is the administrator of t he Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.  Sponsored by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Program is available to Federal and U.S. Postal Service employees and annuitants, active and retired members of the uniformed services, and their qualified relatives.  With more than 210,000 enrollees, it is the largest employer-sponsored long term care insurance program in the country.  FLTCIP policies are simple to understand and offer enrollees some distinct advantages, including comprehensive coverage, competitive and stable rates, international coverage, and administrative service standards that are the highest in the long-term care insurance industry.  Policies are sold direct through a highly-trained, non-commissioned staff with no high pressure sales tactics – simply sound advice.  Visit www.LTCFEDS.com or http://www.opm.gov/insure/ltc/index.asp for more information.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Federal Employee Program, FMA Sustaining Corporate Partner:  The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association represents the independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans. The 40 local member companies of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association have provided millions of families with top-quality, affordable health insurance for more than 70 years.  For the one in four Americans who carry Blue Cross and Blue Shield cards, the Blue Plans symbolize health security.  Visit www.fepblue.org and join the best, most-recognized group of health insurance providers in the world.

GEICO, FMA Corporate Partner:  GEICO was created over 60 years ago to insure Federal employees.  Over the years GEICO has continuously strengthened its affiliation with the Federal workforce.  Today GEICO has a special program established to support the Federal community.  GEICO’s Federal program participates in the following organizations and programs: GEICO Public Service Awards, which  have honored Federal workers (active and retired) who have contributed to the public good since 1980; and GEICO Federal Leave Record Cards, which for over 40 years have been provided by GEICO to Federal employees, free of charge, to help them track their annual leave.  Find out how much you could save with GEICO auto insurance as an FMA member by getting a line-by-line rate quote at:  www.geico.com.

Shaw, Bransford, Veilleux and Roth, P.C., (SBVR) concentrates its law practice on the representation of Federal employees, with a special emphasis on the representation of executives and managers.  SBVR serves as General Counsel to the Federal Managers Association and is uniquely situated to recognize the interests and viewpoints of Federal managers.  For up to two free half-hour legal consultations and reduced legal fees as an FMA member, please visit:  www.shawbransford.com.

***********************************************************

The Washington Report is published biweekly by the Federal Managers Association.
Jessica Klement, Editor; Josh Russin, Staff Writer

The Federal Managers Association, established in 1913, is the oldest, largest, most influential association representing the interests of the nearly 200,000 managers, supervisors and executives serving in today’s Federal government.

1641 Prince Street ~ Alexandria VA 22314-2818 ~ (703) 683-8700 ~ FAX (703) 683-8707 ~ E-Mail Info@fedmanagers.org

Washington Report Archives