The 19 agency inspectors general fired by President Donald Trump had a collective impact of saving the government more than $50 billion in fiscal 2024. New data from Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, shows the IGs played a key role in investigations and audits that uncovered significant fraud and abuse. Peters highlighted two examples: The Energy Department's IG who halted an illegal semiconductor export scheme, which led to the cancellation of $100 million in grants and the DoD IG who uncovered fraudulent financial practices targeting Gold Star families, leading to a 12-year prison sentence and a $1.4 million penalty. 

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Democratic lawmakers are criticizing the Trump administration’s recent push to pay political appointees more money. In a letter to the Office of Personnel Management, Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee called OPM’s recent encouragement on the issue an “egregious abuse” of taxpayer dollars. OPM recently recommended that agencies pay their political appointees the maximum salary possible, nearly $200,000. Based on current federal salary caps, Schedule C political appointees can be paid nearly $200,000 per year. They don’t always receive the top amount, but OPM recently recommended that agencies pay their political appointees the maximum salary possible. The Democrats are now pressing OPM for more information on the responsibilities and costs of current Schedule C appointees.

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The Defense Department is taking a closer look at how it supports military families who choose to homeschool their children. In a recent memo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directed the under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness to conduct a departmentwide review of the current support available to homeschooling military families, including the feasibility of providing resources for those students. A recent study from Johns Hopkins University found that around 12% of military families chose to homeschool their children in 2024 — that’s double the rate of civilian families.

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Probationary employees who were fired from the Department of Homeland Security have been granted class certification on an appeal case with the Merit Systems Protection Board. The DHS employees allege that the agency violated the law when it terminated them earlier this year. They argue that the mass firings at DHS were really an unlawfully conducted reduction in force (RIF). Gilbert Employment Law, which is representing the DHS employees in the MSPB case, called the class certification “heartening news.”

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The Defense Manpower Data Center has expanded its online ID card issuance system to include overseas dependents of service members. Since its launch in 2023, the program has eliminated more than 300,000 in-person visits by allowing service members to request their ID cards online. DMDC now wants to improve the system by allowing users to upload updated photos directly into the system. It is exploring ways to extend services to locations without access to military postal services.

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Veterans Affairs is giving organizations more resources to prevent veteran suicide. VA is issuing more than $50 million in grants to community-based organizations that provide suicide prevention or emergency clinical services to veterans at risk of suicide. Groups have until the end of September to apply for these grants. Veterans who are experiencing suicidal thoughts can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and then pressing 1. 

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Correctional officers at the Federal Bureau of Prisons are using a different approach to urge congressional action. A new billboard campaign led by the American Federation of Government Employees is calling on Congress members to reject President Trump’s effort to strip collective bargaining rights. Many bipartisan lawmakers have supported federal correctional officers for a long time. But the union said it’s disappointed that lawmakers now appear to be turning their backs on the frontline federal workers. AFGE has rented out a number of billboards across the country urging Congress to reject Trump’s executive order canceling union contracts, efforts that would cut benefits for federal correctional officers.

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The collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees remain in limbo after an appeals judge ruled in favor of the Trump administration. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March ending collective bargaining rights for national security employees. The order expanded who is considered a national security employee to more than three dozen agencies. The appeals court ruled 2-to-1 on technical grounds, finding that the unions don’t have the legal right to sue because the Trump administration has said it won’t end any collective bargaining agreements while the case is being litigated.

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A top House Democrat wants an investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency’s access to IRS systems. Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Gerry Connolly requested the investigation in a May 15th letter to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. He raised concerns about DOGE plans to centralize IRS data. Connolly also highlighted potential issues with the IRS’ data-sharing agreements with the Department of Homeland Security. 

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To reduce leased space costs by 30 percent within the next 18 months, the Defense Department is closely tracking building occupancy to find underutilized spaces. It is also moving more personnel to existing military installations to reduce the number of people working in rented office buildings. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment Robert Thompson said the effort is critical to “eliminating waste and duplication” while “maximizing the value of the department’s real estate portfolio.” The Defense Department is reducing its leased space costs as it implements a government-wide return-to-office policy requiring thousands of employees to resume in-person work. 

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