Midweek update

Yesterday's national election resulted in a unified Republican government in the United States for the first time since 2006.  Come January 20, Donald Trump will be the President, and the Republicans will control the 115th Congress.

Political control of the Office of Personnel Management also will change because the Senate has not confirm the President's nomination of Beth Cobert to serve a four year term as permanent OPM Director.  Readers may recall that the now retired OPM Inspector General Patrick MacFarland asserted as he headed out the door that Ms. Cobert could not serve as acting Director while the Senate considered her nomination. The Inspector General relied on a U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit involving the National Labor Relations Board's acting general counsel. The FEHBlog opined that the Inspector General was reading too much into the opinion.  Ms Cobert continued to serve as acting Director. Ironically on Monday the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in the NLRB case. Here's a link to the Scotusblog's analysis of the oral argument.  Ms. Cobert likely will be out of office by the time that the Supreme Court decides this case next Spring.