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Our online community now tops 150,000 federal workers and supporters across TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Each briefing distills the day’s most consequential developments, adds clear-eyed legal analysis, and pairs it with mindfulness tools that keep you steady no matter how turbulent the news cycle becomes. If this newsletter helps you stay informed, please pass it on: https://fedlegalhelp.com/newsletter. Your advocacy broadens the protective circle for every federal employee.

Top Three News Stories:

1. White House Moves to Freeze $30 Billion in Agency Funds

Reporting in POLITICO details a new OMB directive, delivered mostly by phone, ordering EPA, NASA, NSF and a dozen other agencies to “pause” more than $30 billion in unobligated balances while the administration prepares a broad “deferrals” package under the Impoundment Control Act. Budget officials say the gambit is designed to make the cuts permanent if Congress fails to act, effectively testing the limits of the president’s power of the purse. Critics warn the freeze undermines constitutional checks and could land at the Supreme Court. Politico

Legal Insight:

Any “verbal” freeze could lack the paper trail the ICA requires. If you manage funds, csonider asking for a written order that cites the specific ICA provision (deferral or rescission) and start a contemporaneous log of impacts; those records are critical if GAO or Congress investigates. Remember that spending money after a valid freeze can violate the Anti-Deficiency Act, but so can withholding money unlawfully—so documenting conflicting instructions protects you either way. Finally, whistleblower protections (5 U.S.C. § 2302) cover disclosures about illegal budget moves, and OSC can stay personnel actions taken in retaliation.

2. House Passes $9.4 B Rescissions Bill Targeting Foreign Aid & Public Media

In a 214-212 vote, the House approved the Rescissions Act of 2025, clawing back $9.4 billion previously appropriated for foreign assistance, global health, and nearly $1.1 billion for NPR/PBS. The measure would codify some Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cuts and now heads to the Senate, where GOP leaders hint at changes next month. Four Republican members joined all Democrats in opposition, citing rural broadcasting impacts. GovExec

Legal Insight:

Until the Senate acts, agencies should keep obligating funds per current law—rescissions are not final until enacted. Budget or grants staff who receive instructions to halt spending should request written confirmation that an enacted rescission exists; otherwise, withholding may breach the Anti-Deficiency Act and ICA. Program managers should also preserve documentation of cancellation costs. Remember that abrupt grant shutdowns can also trigger bid-protest or Contract Disputes Act claims, so involve counsel early and keep contractor communications in writing.

3. Education Department Asks 1,400 Fired Employees to Come Back After Court Order

Federal News Network reports that on June 12 the Education Department emailed nearly 1,400 employees it laid off in March, asking if they are “still available” for reinstatement. The outreach follows a May 22 federal injunction requiring the agency to reverse a workforce cut Judge Myong Joun said would cause “irreparable harm” to students. HR officials say responses will help plan return dates and accommodations; the administration still seeks to dismantle most of the department. Federal News Network

Legal Insight:

Reinstated employees are likely entitled to back pay, service credit, and restored leave under the Back Pay Act (5 U.S.C. § 5596). If management proposes a lower grade, duty station, or break in benefits, insist on a written offer and consult your union or an MSPB practitioner before accepting. Those who took “voluntary” buyouts or early-outs should check whether returning could trigger debt-collection; agencies could waive repayment when separations are later ruled improper. Keep all correspondence—the court may ultimately award attorney fees and interest, and your documentation proves eligibility.

Mindful Moment of the Day: 

Body-Scan Before Brief Writing 

Tight shoulders and shallow breaths siphon oxygen from the very frontal lobes you need to craft a watertight MSPB brief. Before typing a word, close your eyes, feel the soles on the floor, and trace a slow scan upward—ankles, knees, hips, spine, jaw—softening each checkpoint on a five-count exhale. Somatic quieting steadies heart-rate variability, opening an alpha-wave window associated with sharper reasoning and cleaner prose. Ninety seconds of scanning saves thirty minutes of post-draft editing, and opposing counsel will wonder where the brain fog went.