Friday morning federal headlines - June 15, 2012
Friday - 6/15/2012, 9:13am EDT
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.
- Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) has put a pro-federal-employee amendment into
the Senate's 2013 financial services funding bill. That bill cleared the
Appropriations Committee yesterday. Mikulski's language would continue a ban on
competition between federal agencies and contractors for service work. It would
also stop outsourcing unless an agency can prove a cost savings. Plus it would
prohibit arbitrary staff cuts by requiring agencies to match work with funds on
hand. Mikulski complained that federal employees are the first to take a hit
whenever deficit reduction comes up. (Federal News Radio)
- Looming federal budget cuts from the sequester are making things difficult for
contractors. That's because agency buyers are uncertain about the future. So they
put off contract awards. Debbie James, head of government relations for SAIC, said
the delays make it harder for companies like hers to deliver products and
services. She said it would be helpful if Pentagon contracting officers in
particular loosened up a little. Most analysts expect no sequester-avoiding budget
deal until after November elections. (Federal News Radio)
- American Indian tribes say the Internal Revenue Service was crossing the
line into their territory, and they wanted the agency to pull back. Tribal leaders
told a Senate panel yesterday that the IRS was fishing for revenue by taxing
housing, school clothes, burial aid and other services that the tribes provide
their members. They said that infringes on tribal sovereignty and violates
treaties between the tribes and the United States. But the IRS said it was talking
with tribes and gathering recommendations from members. The agency said the rules
governing what it can tax are too foggy. (Federal News Radio)
- It won't be a friendly coffee klatch. In fact, both sides will probably be
working all weekend to get ready. But Attorney General Eric Holder has proposed a
Monday morning meeting with Rep.
Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) Issa has been pushing Holder to release documents about
how Justice handled the Fast and Furious gun walking project. He theatened to end
the standoff by scheduling a contempt-of-Congress vote. Holder has sent thousands
of pages of documents. Now he said he was prepared to deliver the ones Issa really
wants. (Federal News Radio)
- In its annual Sustainability Report,
the Postal Service announced that it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by
7.4 percent since 2008. That's the equivalent of taking 200,000 cars off the road.
That puts the Postal Service well on its way to meeting its goal of a 20 percent
cut by 2020. The Postal Service maintains the largest network of buildings in the
U.S.and has installed energy auditing systems in many of its buildings to track
energy waste. It also owns 41,000 alternative fuel-capable vehicles and has
implemented 8,000 more walking and bicycle routes for mail carriers. (USPS)
- The Environmental Protection
Agency is strengthening pollution standards and risking an election-year
backlash. A lawsuit forced the agency's hand and it will announce its proposal
later today. It would reduce the amount of soot that could be released into the
air. A federal court ordered the EPA to act after 11 states sued. They said
current standards are leading to lung and heart problems. EPA officials said most
counties are already complying with the new standards and would not have to take
further action. Environmentalists and public-health advocates are likely to cheer
the rule, but lawmakers and industry may accuse the agency of stifling the
economy. (Federal News Radio)
- A new report says the government's widespread attempts to catch Medicaid fraud have cost it millions — $80 million to be exact. The audits by contractors were so ineffective that Health and Human Services put a stop to them. Investigators at the Government Accountability Office said the auditors were using federal data without critical information, like Medicaid recipients' names and addresses. The federal government does not share names of potential fraudsters with states, which means states cannot verify that those providers are in fact in their Medicaid programs. HHS said the independent audits were just a part of their attempts to wipe out Medicaid fraud. Other efforts, like interagency strike teams, have been more successful. The news came as a surprise to senators, who held a hearing on the issue yesterday. (Federal News Radio)
