Author Archive
Eric Katz

Eric Katz writes about federal agency operations and management. His deep coverage of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Postal Service has earned him frequent guest spots on national radio and television news programs. Eric joined Government Executive in the summer of 2012 and previously worked for The Financial Times. He is a graduate of The George Washington University.
Management
Forest Service Rushes to Hire Enough Firefighters Ahead of Wildfire Season
Stakeholders warn shortages again threaten the Biden's administration's approach to combatting the fires.
- By Eric Katz
Finance
Congress Is Heading Toward Yet Another Stopgap Spending Bill This Week to Avoid a Shutdown
A measure to fund agencies through March 11 will allow appropriators to get over the finish line on full-year spending, top House Democrat says.
- By Eric Katz
Health & Human Services
Biden to Launch Federal Covid-19 Testing Centers, New Federally Run Vaccination Sites
The White House again ups federal agency deployments to confront the pandemic and the surging Omicron variant.
- By Eric Katz
Public Safety
Congressional Leaders Strike Deal to Fund Agencies Through Feb. 18, but Shutdown Threat Remains
Some Republican senators threaten to derail plans over COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
- By Eric Katz
Health & Human Services
As States Weigh Employee Vaccine Mandates, Feds Struggle With Mass Testing for Unvaccinated
The Biden administration is requiring at least weekly COVID-19 testing for the unvaccinated, but the White House has offered few details about how that will happen.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Biden Sworn in as President, Promising Truthful Government to Tackle Crises
The new president quickly turned to a deluge of day one priorities.
- By Eric Katz
Management
With Shutdown Deadline Looming This Week, Lawmakers Look to Buy More Time
Vote on a one-week funding extension is expected this week, ahead of Friday's deadline. Lawmakers could eventually end up including Covid relief in the package.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Census Pulls Back on Year-End Delivery Commitment, Pushes Decision to Career Staff
Rushing in an effort to truncate the data processing timeline has "some risks," bureau official admits.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Supreme Court Sides With Trump on Census, Allowing for Immediate End to Count
Enumeration was under lower court order to keep count going through Oct. 31.
- By Eric Katz
Management
'Nobody Knows What's Going On': Census Workers Decry Chaos as Trump Administration Challenges Court Order
Census enumerators say they have received inconsistent messages and workloads in recent days despite court order to keep count going.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Court Orders Census to Continue Counting People Past Trump Administration's Sept. 30 Deadline
The bureau will have through Oct. 31 to finish its enumeration under the injunction, though an appeal is expected.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Decision to Shorten Census Schedule Came From Outside the Census Bureau, Watchdog Says
That decision is risking an incomplete and inaccurate count.
- By Eric Katz
Management
'Perfect Storm' Threatens 'Major Institutional Defeat' for the Census, Top Watchdog Says
The decennial count is ahead of schedule overall, but a condensed schedule and hiring shortfalls are creating significant risks.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Condensed Schedule and Staff Not Showing Up to Work Have Put the Census at Risk
Census has just a month to complete its count and the Government Accountability Office says it still faces significant challenges in collecting accurate data.
- By Eric Katz
Health & Human Services
Federal Officials Detail Preparations for 'Inevitable' Coronavirus Surge This Fall
Dr. Anthony Fauci and others say their agencies are taking "financial risks" to pursue potential treatments and a vaccine, but will not compromise science.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Here's What 12 Democratic Presidential Candidates Have to Say About Public Servants and Their Unions
All candidates at a union forum said they support federal legislation to ensure that public employees in every state have the right to join a union and bargain collectively.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Federal Agencies Heads Are Shifting Power Toward States
Federal officials have had too much discretion to institute their personal policy preferences, administration officials say.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Key Federal Agency Doesn’t Have the Staff to Oversee $35B in 2017 Hurricane Recovery Money
A slow process has led to four states and territories devastated by hurricanes receiving virtually none of the funds Congress appropriated.
- By Eric Katz
Management
Lawmakers Say They Have an Agreement to Avoid Another Shutdown
The deal is "in principle" and needs to be finalized.
- By Eric Katz
Management
White House Says Shutdown Still 'On the Table' as Congressional Negotiations Stall
Negotiators have hit a stumbling block on border security.
- By Eric Katz