Tuesday federal headlines – July 22, 2014

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air.

• The White House is tapping on agency shoulders, looking for detailed spending information. The memo comes from Brian Deese, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget. Among other things, OMB wants data on expenditures for carrying out new standards checking the backgrounds of people with security clearance. The so-called Federal Investigative Standards were revised in December of 2012. OMB is asking for 2014 spending and what agencies hope to spend in 2015 and 2016. The memo asks for spending on case management systems, training and other resources aimed at implementing the new rules. They emphasize continuous monitoring of people, rather than periodic checks. (Federal News Radio)
• Say goodbye to the SAVE Awards. The Obama administration started the Security Americans Value and Efficiency Awards program in 2009. It encouraged people throughout the government to look for ways to save money and boost efficiency. The best ideas were rewarded with a plaque and a visit to the Oval Office to meet with President Obama. Now, in a memo from the White House, agencies are told to develop their own, internal savings and efficiency idea programs. No more governmentwide contest. (Federal News Radio)
• The Air Force has begun surveying civilian employees to gauge their interest in taking buyouts or early retirement. It’s targeting employees assigned to headquarters, mostly in this area. The service says employees will have until Aug. 1 to respond. Approved applicants have to quit work by Sept. 30. Air Force civilians have become used to this. It’s the fourth round of incentives. The Air Force says there will be at least one more. At the same time, it warns, headquarters and bases will begin preparing requests to use reductions-in-force to reshape the workforce. (Air Force)
• A watchdog group says it has received nearly 800 comments after launching a website to collect reports from inside the Veterans Affairs Department. The Project on Government Oversight says the submissions come from former and current VA employees and patients across 35 states and the District of Columbia. The group says concerns go beyond wait times for medical appointments and extend to the quality of health care the system provides. A recurring theme among the complaints: VA employees believe they would face retaliation by managers for their criticism. (Project on Government Oversight)
• The President’s pick to lead the Veterans Affairs Department gets the chance today to show he has what it takes to turn around the beleaguered agency. Robert McDonald goes before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee this afternoon for a confirmation hearing. He appears to be in good shape, based on comments by Democrats and Republicans. Meanwhile, legislation to improve accountability and resources at the department appears stuck in tough negotiations over the price tag. The Senate bill would authorize $35 billion for new clinics, medical staff and health care. The House has passed a similar bill. Senate VA Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders says he hopes Congress can agree before next month’s recess. He attributes the hold up to “ideological differences” between the chambers. (Associated Press)
• Army officials have withdrawn an expensive intelligence network from a major testing exercise this fall. They cite software glitches. It’s the latest setback for the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS-A). The Army has spent $5 billion on DCGS-A over the last 10 years. Its purpose is to integrate multiple sources of data into a unified battle space picture for soldiers. Army brass have defended the system, saying that even with glitches its an improvement over battlespace information soldiers had before. Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Ordierno says the system gives in-theatre operators 20 times the capability they had. Still, several audit reports have critiqued the system. The memo withdrawing DCGS-A from the exercises was signed by the vice chief of staff, Gen. John Campbell. (Associated Press)
• A federal judge dismisses a Senator’s healthcare lawsuit. Sen. Ron Johnson (R- Wis.) challenged a requirement that members of Congress and their staffs get federal health insurance through the small business exchanges. U.S. District Judge William Griesbach rules Johnson has no grounds to bring the suit. He says Johnson could avoid the problem by not designating any employees as officials congressional staff. The Office of Management and Budget ruled in January that Hill staff were entitled to federal subsidies of their health insurance premiums, but they would have to use the exchange to purchase individual policies. Johnson says he hasn’t decided whether to appeal. (Associated Press)
• NASA has named an historic building in honor of one of its greatest space heros. The Operations and Checkout building is now named for the late Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon. NASA made the name change as the nation celebrates the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. In ceremonies at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Armstrong is remembered as more than an astronaut. He was also a distinguished aerospace engineer, test pilot and professor. He died in 2012. The Operations and Checkout building has been in operation since 1965. NASA is using it today to assemble the Orion spacecraft that will send astronauts to an asteroid. (Associated Press)

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