Tuesday Morning Federal Newscast – February 15th

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Amy Morris 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 figures are in, and the battle is joined. Federal budget season for 2012 got underway yesterday upon release of the Obama Administration’s proposal for the fiscal year starting October 1. The administration says its $3.7 trillion plan reduces the growth of debt. Opponents say cuts don’t go far enough. The budget proposal is a mixed bag. Several departments, including Defense, would see reductions in spending. Others, such as Education and Transportation, would get sharp increases.
• The federal work force would grow by 15,000 full-time employees under the president’s 2012 budget proposal. The work force would still be smaller than it was in 2010, the peak year. Federal Times reports the additions would put the total civilian work force at larger than 2.1 million. Homeland Security would get the most new employees, 8,000, but the Defense Department will lose 7,000 civilian full-time workers. The federal payroll would reach about $177 billion in 2012.
• And The Department of Homeland Security is looking at a modest increase in funding under the proposed budget. Overall spending would increase 1.8 percent from last year to more than $44 billion. Its discretionary spending would increase less than 1 percent. Core homeland security functions like border security and Coast Guard assets will see more money. Saving are to be made by eliminating stove-piped and duplicated State and local grant programs, administrative costs, and professional contract services.
• The federal information technology budget would grow about two percent, to $79.5 billion dollars under the president’s proposed 2012 budget. But Veterans Affairs, with one of the biggest departmental IT budgets, would remain flat at about $3 billion. FCW reports to help reign in IT operational costs, the administration has told agencies to adopt a cloud-first approach. Wherever possible, they are supposed to use online infrastructure and applications, while reducing the number of federal data centers.
• The government’s top watchdog over the financial bailouts, Neil Barofsky, says he will step down next month as special inspector general for the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program. A spokeswoman says Barofsky believes the office met its goals. Barofsky blasted the Treasury Department in a series of audits of the bailout fund, which pointed out management problems. His investigations led to 14 criminal fraud convictions for bankers.
• Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to name Marc Grossman, a retired career diplomat, as special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He would succeed Richard Holbrook, who died in December. Grossman was the State Department’s third-ranking diplomat under President George W. Bush. He was an ambassador to Turkey. The official announcement is expected Friday, when Mrs. Clinton gives a speech to the Asia Society.

More news links

Obama budget proposes $11B break for Postal Service (FederalTimes)

Ousted USDA employee sues conservative blogger

US admiral: Carrier killer won’t stop US Navy

Clinton: Nations suppress Internet at own risk

House rejects extensions of Patriot Act provisions

Tens of thousands march against Yemen’s president

‘Jeopardy!’ to pit humans against IBM machine

THIS AFTERNOON ON FEDERAL NEWS RADIO

Coming up today on The DorobekInsider:

** Part of President Obama’s budget includes a reorganization of government. So how can a government reorganization be carried out effectively? We’ll talk to a professor who has literally written the book on the subject.

** And how to improve the government procurement process. The Industry Advisory Council wants your insights. We’ll tell you how you can participate.

Join Chris from 3 to 7 pm on 1500 AM or on your computer.

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