Horizon Cutting-room Links: Monday, 10 February 2025

"Federal Judge Blocks Elon Musk’s DOGE From Treasury System," Wall Street Journal

"The order by Judge Paul Engelmayer, an Obama appointee, precludes officials without proper background checks and security clearances from accessing the payment system through at least next Friday, including political appointees and special government appointees. It also orders any prohibited person who has had access to the records since President Trump’s inauguration to destroy them."

"Some 19 blue-state attorneys general filed the case Friday evening, saying that Musk’s DOGE initiative risks interference with the payment of funds appropriated by Congress. The Treasury Department has said that DOGE associates have only the ability to view content, not the ability to modify it. But the state attorneys general say the true limitations on DOGE’s access remain unclear and it maintains the ability to route information to individuals who could potentially freeze payments, including to the U.S. Agency for International Development."

"Sources: VA’s new EHR is not accessibility compliant," NextGov

"VA contracted with Cerner — which was later acquired by Oracle — in 2018 to modernize its legacy health record system and make it interoperable with the Pentagon’s new electronic health record, which was also provided by Cerner. ... Although the performance work statement for VA’s initial contract with Cerner required that the EHR system be compliant with Section 508 upon its delivery, current and former VA personnel told Nextgov/FCW the department never tested the system for accessibility. ... Blind and visually impaired veterans and clinicians, in particular, are affected by the system’s accessibility challenges."

"VA carves out major workforce exemptions to OPM’s deferred resignation offer," FedNewsNetwork

"The VA, in an email sent to employees Thursday evening, said it plans to exempt 116 Veterans Health Administration positions from the deferred resignation program (DRP). These exemptions include frontline health care positions, as well as support positions such as police, firefighters, maintenance and food service personnel.

"The Veterans Benefits Administration is exempting five positions — rehabilitation counselor, general legal and kindred administration, veterans claims examiners, appraisers and vocational rehabilitation specialists. The National Cemetery Administration is also exempting 20 positions, most of which are involved in the management, care and maintenance of VA cemeteries."