If at first you don't suceed.....

I attempted to get this blog started a year ago. I gave up too soon before it could find its audience. I have been inspired to give it another try.

Many of you know I am the Legislative Coordinator for Chapter 032 of the National Treasury Employee’s Union (NTEU) in Denver. I send out a weekly legislative update to a distribution list of interested federal employees and retirees across the country in various agencies, but primarily in the IRS.

There are many topics and issues we can not discuss or send through official email. I was encouraged to create this blog where YOU can more fully participate, interact with each other, and express your opinions.

It will only be of interest to you, if you participate....
I encourage you to visit the blog frequently and keep coming back to it. It will take a few weeks for it to be "found" and begin to take off. It will only be of interest to you, if you participate. I urge you to encourage participation by your friends and coworkers in all federal agencies. Your involvement and interaction will make this a more informative space and more valuable to yourself and others. My desire is that through this blog, federal employees and retirees throughout all agencies will become more fully informed and more actively involved in the legislative process. Your feedback and comments to my posts and interaction with others is encouraged.

David R. Larkin


Bills of interest to federal employees and retirees we are currently tracking in the 110th Congress include:

• H.R. 82 and S. 206: To amend Title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the government pension offset and windfall elimination.
• H.R. 695 and S. 335: To Repeal Authority for Private Tax Collection.
• H.R. 985: Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007 (Passed House 03/14/2007 by vote of 331 – 94; received in Senate 03/15/2007, referred to Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs)
• H.R. 1073: To provide law enforcement status/20-year retirement option for Customs Inspectors and IRS Revenue Officers.
• H.R. 1110 and S. 773: To allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health premiums on a pretax basis and to allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums.
• H.R. 1256: To increase the government contribution for federal employee’s health insurance from 72% to 80%.
• S. 1000: To enhance the Federal Telework Program.