Friday Morning Federal Newscast – April 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.

• Congress sends President Barack Obama a 2011 budget that cuts $38 billion from federal spending. Next on the budget agenda for the House is a vote on the 2012 proposal from Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan. That vote is expected today. The Wisconsin Republican’s plan restructures Medicare from a pay-as-you-go system to one that grants vouchers and subsidizes private insurance plans. Combined with spending cuts, the plan is designed to avoid $6 trillion in spending over the next 10 years. President Obama has sketched a plan to save $4 trillion while leaving Medicare as it is.
• President Obama’s deficit reduction plan may not directly cut federal pay, but the Office of Management and Budget says federal retirement plans could be on the table. A senior administration official confirmed via email to Federal News Radio that changes to federal retirement, while not proposed yesterday, is something the White House is looking at. The administration says it is not currently considering cuts to federal pay.
• Congress may be cracking down on your government charge card. A Senate committee has approved a bill to beef up oversight of government purchase cards. That includes credit checks for card holders and periodic risk assessments and audits by your agency’s inspector general. Senator Chuck Grassley sponsored the bill. It now goes to the full Senate.
• The Pentagon is asking Congress for the go-ahead to create a spending account to quickly buy weapons systems and get them into the hands of troops in the field. Defense officials purchased the military’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle fleet – largely outside of DOD’s traditional acquisition system. The Hill reports the move was considered a great success and now defense is now looking for ways to create a formal system to make speedy buys. Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter told the House appropriation committee, that setting up the fund is even more important now that defense funds are expected to shrink.
• The Office of Management and Budget is coming out with its final guidance to help your agency write in plain language. President Obama signed the Plain Writing Act last October. The memo outlines steps agencies should take around training employees and meeting upcoming deadlines.
• We’re learning more about the cost of moving the Federal Trade Commission to the National Gallery of Art. The Congressional Budget office says the bill that requires the General Services Administration to make the transfer will cost about $270 million. But Representative John Mica’s bill proposing the move says there will be a $300 million savings from the transfer over the first ten years. A spokesman for Mica tells the Washington Business Journal that the CBO numbers include construction of a new FTC headquarters which is not in Mica’s proposal.
• The first head has rolled at the FAA following reports of controllers falling asleep on the job. Hank Krakowski, head of the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, has resigned. David Grizzle, the agency’s legal counsel, is named as interim successor. The Wall Street Journal reports Krakowski was already in trouble with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Krakowksi had instituted a system of reporting errors in air traffic control that appeared to boost the rate of mistakes. But he is credited with improving relations between ATO’s management and union employees. The Journal is also reporting, the FAA has moved supervision of building the NextGen air traffic control system to Deputy FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. That takes away responsibility from ATO.
• To nap on the job or to stay awake — that is the question facing the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization. Following embarrassing reports of controllers falling asleep on the job, agency brass is taking a new look at proposals to let controllers take naps during breaks so they’ll be more alert while at their consoles. ATO managers, union representatives and the Mitre Corporation came up with 12 recommendations for avoiding sleep-inducing fatigue. One idea is for the FAA change its policy towards napping. The idea would give controllers on midnight shifts as much as two hours to sleep, plus another half-hour to wake up.
• Uncle Sam has a deal for you. The National Parks are free next week. More 300 National Park Service sites are offering free admission as part of National Park Week. Some of the nation’s most popular National Parks are included, like Yellowstone in Wyoming and Montana, Yosemite in California and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Officials at the Colorado park say visitors will be able ski at higher elevations and hike in the lower portions were the snow is melting. If you can’t make it to a National Park next week, another freebie is coming up on the first day of summer, June 21.

More news links

Top USDA official, leaving to work for Rahm Emanuel, accused of discrimination (Washington Post)

Huge old home of US envoy to Belgium goes green

New Telescope Spots Space Hazards for Military Satellites (InnovationNewsDaily)

LivingSocial offers $1 lunch deals today (WTOP.com)

THIS AFTERNOON ON FEDERAL NEWS RADIO

Coming up today on In Depth with Francis Rose:

–The administration’s cyber identity strategy debuts today. NIST’s Jeremy Grant will explain it.

–A rundown on some legislation that some observers say is running you down.

–And it’s Countdown Friday! Larry Allen of Allen Federal and Tim Hext of Agilex with their choices for the three most important Federal news stories of the week.

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

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.