President Obama has signed into law a bill reversing a requirement enacted in April 2012, but never carried out, that federal agencies post online the financial disclosure forms of some 28,000 of their employees.

The House this week is scheduled to vote on two bills that would block federal employees, job candidates and contractors from working for the government if they owe back taxes.

One measure, sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), would require federal agencies to fire employees and reject potential hires with "seriously delinquent" tax debt, meaning those who have been hit with a tax lien. Democrats opposed that bill when it was considered by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee last month.

John Berry has served the American people well as Director of the Office of Personnel Management.  He’s streamlined the way federal employees are hired, modernized the workplace, made the federal workforce more diverse, and increased the number of returning servicemembers hired by the government.  John has been a champion for federal workers – men and women who devote their lives to vital tasks like securing our borders, curing disease, and keeping the American people safe.  This country is better off because of John’s talent and dedication, and I’m grateful to him for his service.

Congress has passed a bill to prevent financial disclosure forms filed by many senior career federal employees from being posted online.

The Senate on Thursday and the House on Friday passed on short-cut procedures a bill that indefinitely delays, and effectively repeals, a controversial provision of the Stock (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge) Act enacted a year ago. That law mainly addressed conflict-of-interest policies for members of Congress and their staffs, but it also included a requirement that the financial disclosure forms filed by some 28,000 high-ranking federal employees be posted online.

Congress is moving quickly to repeal a requirement imposed last year, but never put into effect, that financial disclosure forms filed by many senior career federal employees be posted online.

The Senate passed the repeal bill Thursday with no debate, and the House could take up the measure Friday under a similar short-cut procedure, sources say.

Health-insurance providers will debate the merits of allowing more types of plans to participate in the federal-employee health-benefit program during a House subcommittee hearing on Thursday.

A representative from UnitedHealth Group will urge lawmakers to draft legislation that allows regional and state preferred provider organizations, or PPOs, to join the benefit program, according to an advanced copy of testimony the company plans to deliver before the House panel that oversees federal-workforce programs.

President Obama issued a strong defense of federal employees in the budget he released Wednesday, along with something they have not seen lately — a pay raise.

The 1 percent raise for 2014 isn’t much, but it’s better than the three-year freeze on their basic pay rates that continues through the end of the year. If the 1 percent hike is little standing alone, it is even less when coupled with another proposal to increase employee pension contributions with no increase in benefits.

President Obama proposed a 1 percent raise for federal employees in 2014, as part of his budget proposal released Wednesday.

"This increase reflects the tight budget constraints we now face while also recognizing the critical role these employees play in our everyday lives," the budget document says.

A top Senate Republican will unveil proposals Tuesday designed to bolster security for federal judges and prosecutors and could eventually introduce the plan as an amendment to a gun bill up for debate in the Senate, according to aides.

The government's central ethics office has told Congress it agrees with a recommendation to indefinitely suspend a requirement that financial disclosure reports of some 28,000 federal employees be posted online.