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Stanton, Shutt promoted to new roles in FAS as reorganization nears

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3 months ago

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The General Services Administration is promoting some familiar faces into leadership roles as it prepares to reorganize its Federal Acquisition Service.

Laura Stanton is the new deputy commissioner of the FAS. Stanton, who has worked for GSA since 1997, has been the assistant commissioner for the IT category since 2020.

Stephanie Shutt is the new FAS chief of staff. Shutt has worked for GSA since 2004, running the schedules program for five years before becoming the director of operation and innovation in September 2023.

FAS Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum announced these and other changes in an email obtained by Federal News Network.

Gruenbaum said Stanton also will continue to lead the IT category office in addition to her new role.

Laura Stanton is the assistant commissioner in the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) in the Federal Acquisition Service at GSA.

“The work you all do is critical – FAS plays a central role in helping the government buy smarter, be more efficient and deliver value to taxpayers,” Gruenbaum wrote in the email. “Laura and Stephanie both understand how important collaboration is to that mission. I encourage you to show our support as they step into these new roles.”

Stanton replaces Tom Howder, who has been deputy commissioner of FAS since 2018 and has worked at GSA for more than 38 years. He spent his entire federal career with GSA, starting as a GS-5 in 1987.

Howder, who served as acting FAS commissioner in 2024, is retiring taking the deferred resignation program offer.

“I want to express my gratitude to Josh Gruenbaum and Stephen Ehikian, who encouraged me to stay a bit longer so I could contribute to one final effort – the redesign of the Federal Acquisition Service that we are calling FAS 2.0,” Howder wrote in a post on LinkedIn on April 21. “I won’t offer any spoilers, but I think you will find it nothing short of transformative. It will reimagine how we serve our clients, eliminate burdensome processes, streamline our operations and leverage technological innovations. I leave FAS knowing it has a bright future.”

Gruenbaum also thanked Howder for his guidance and support over the last few months.

Shutt replaces Teri Osabutey, who has been FAS chief of staff since August 2024 and been in government since 1999, starting her career with NASA.

Osabutey came to GSA in 2008 as a senior contracting officer and rose through the ranks serving as the acting deputy assistant commissioner for the Assistant Acquisition Services division before taking the chief of staff role.

“Teri has been a steady presence in the AAS portfolio for years, and those skills were exactly what the front office needed over the past year,” Gruenbaum wrote. “Personally, I want to thank Teri for her support and for making me feel welcome in this role.”

In addition to Howder and Osabutey, several other GSA executives are leaving, including:

  • Kim Garcia, The deputy assistant commissioner for acquisition in the Office of IT Category.
  • Casey Kelley, Retiring after 24 years with GSA, including five as the regional commissioner for the San Diego area and the last 19 months as the client executive in AAS for the Air Force, Space Force and Navy. “I’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented, dedicated, and mission-driven professionals in the federal acquisition community. From the early days building the Alliant/Alliant 2 GWAC team, where innovation and collaboration defined our success, to leading legacy Region 9, transforming operations, achieving financial solvency and building a strong, united culture across diverse business lines — each challenge and achievement has been an unforgettable part of my journey,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “Most recently, launching a new organization within AAS, bringing together experts from multiple legacy regions and FEDSIM to serve Air Force, Navy and Space Force organizations worldwide, has been a career highlight. Establishing a foundation for success and leading the industry engagement collaboration initiative, sharing pipeline information consistently across the enterprise in such a short time was no small feat. I’m immensely proud of what we built together.”
  • Erv Koehler, Retiring after three years as the assistant commissioner of the Office of General Supplies and Services and more than 22 years at GSA.
  • Jeff Thurston, The contract operations director in the Office of General Supplies and Services and the category executive and liaison with the Office of Management and Budget for the Industrial Products Category.
  • Jake Marcellus, Leaving after serving the past four years as the enterprise technology director in the Office of the IT Category. He worked for the Defense Information Systems Agency for 12 years before coming to GSA in 2021. Marcellus also served in the Army for 20 years.

The post Stanton, Shutt promoted to new roles in FAS as reorganization nears first appeared on Federal News Network.

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GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess

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13 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑SD) has unveiled a procedural scheme to block President Donald Trump from making any critical appointments during the August recess, effectively aiding the Democrats’ obstructionist agenda.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president can make “recess appointments,” temporary appointments to federal positions, if the Senate is in recess and not conducting business. These appointments don’t require immediate Senate confirmation and can last until the end of the next session of Congress.

But there’s a loophole: if the Senate holds pro forma sessions, very short, symbolic meetings where no actual business is conducted, then technically, the Senate is still in session. That means the president cannot legally make recess appointments during that time.

John Thune has quietly secured unanimous‑consent for a paper‑thin Senate schedule through the Trump appointee confirmation deadline, ensuring only pro forma sessions on five key dates in early August.

Under the agreement, the chamber will adjourn after today’s business and reconvene without conducting any votes or business on:

  • Tue, Aug 5 – 1:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 8 – 1:05 p.m.
  • Tue, Aug 12 – 8:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 15 – 10:15 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 19 – 10:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 22 – 9:00 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 26 – 12:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 29 – 7:00 a.m.

WATCH:

Thune’s pro forma blueprint comes amid mounting pressure from Donald Trump, who has demanded the Senate remain open until all 150+ administration nominees are confirmed.

Under the Recess Appointments Clause, a president may only install nominees without Senate approval if both chambers are in formal recess for at least 10 days. By convening the Senate just long enough every few days, Thune blocks the possibility of Trump making unilateral appointees.

The Senate went into its August recess without confirming all of Trump’s pending judicial and district‑level appointments.

By the time lawmakers left town on Saturday evening, no deal had been reached to move dozens of Trump’s nominees, including U.S. district court picks, through final floor votes.

Only a small handful of nominees (such as Jeanine Pirro to be U.S. Attorney in D.C.) had advanced. Otherwise, nominees remained stalled in committees or waiting for cloture roll‑calls on the executive calendar.

Roughly 150–160 executive and judicial nominations, including over a dozen district court judges and U.S. attorney nominations, remained scheduled but unconfirmed.

The post GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road

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13 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that there have been about 1,500 truck drivers who do not speak English taken off the roads as part of a push to ensure foreign truck drivers are not causing accidents.

Back in 2016, the Obama administration stopped enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers, according to a report from The Daily Signal.

But in May, Duffy issued a guidance making clear that truck drivers who cannot demonstrate a proficiency in English cannot drive.

The 1,500 drivers were taken off the roads within the first 3o days of the rules once more being enforced, according to The Daily Signal.

“Since I took action to enforce language proficiency requirements for truckers, our state partners have put roughly 1,500 unqualified drivers out of service. That’s what I call results!” Duffy posted on X.

“If you can’t read or speak our national language — ENGLISH — we won’t let your truck endanger the driving public.”

He added, “America First = Safety First.”

Duffy’s concerns were far from unfounded.

In January, there was a truck driver involved in a fatal crash that had to use a language interpreter for the post-crash investigation, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Another incident from 2019 involved a truck driver who could not proficiently speak English speeding through signs that warned of steep grades and dangerous curves, all at more than 100 miles per hour.

Four people died in that crash, per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

President Donald Trump had likewise insisted with an April executive order that the move centered on public safety.

“They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order said of truck drivers.

They also “need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English,” a position the order called “common sense.”

“It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” the notice added.

“This order will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post ‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict

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13 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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via Wikimedia Commons

Slovenia has imposed an arms embargo on Israel, banning the export, import, and transit of weapons to and from the country.

This decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a government session on July 31, 2025.

Slovenia claims to be the first European Union member to take such a step, citing the EU’s inability to act due to internal disagreements.

The government stated that no permits for military exports to Israel have been issued since October 2023, when the conflict in Gaza began.

Officials emphasized that the embargo is an independent measure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Slovenia has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and increased aid deliveries to the region.

In early July 2025, Slovenia declared two Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, persona non grata, barring them from entry.

This action was based on their public statements regarding the conflict. Earlier, in June 2024, Slovenia recognized Palestinian statehood, joining countries like Ireland, Norway, and Spain in this move.

The conflict in Gaza started after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israeli territory, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the taking of hostages.

Israel responded with a military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure. Reports from Gaza’s health ministry indicate significant casualties, with ongoing international efforts to negotiate truces and provide aid.

Several other nations have taken similar diplomatic steps, including France, Britain, and Canada announcing potential recognition of a Palestinian state. Australia has also indicated that recognizing Palestinian statehood is under consideration.

Israel has criticized these declarations, arguing they could reward Hamas for its actions.

Israeli officials dismissed Slovenia’s embargo as insignificant, noting that Israel does not procure any defense materials from Slovenia.

An unnamed official stated that the country buys nothing from Slovenia, not even minor items.

Within the EU, there is growing pressure for measures against Israel, with Sweden and the Netherlands advocating for suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The European Commission has proposed limiting Israel’s participation in the Horizon research program, though Germany opposes such steps.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed concerns about Israel’s potential diplomatic isolation during a visit to Jerusalem.

The United States remains a key ally to Israel, with President Donald Trump warning that recognizing Palestinian statehood might benefit Hamas.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance Gaza truce talks. These efforts aim to address the humanitarian crisis and secure a ceasefire.

The post Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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