Federal News Countdown: Transparency, cyber training

Julie Myers Wood, President of ICS Consulting and Rob Burton, Partner at Venable join Francis Rose for this week\'s Federal News Countdown.

Today’s Federal News Countdown guests are:
Julie Myers Wood, president, ICS Consulting
Rob Burton, partner, Venable

Julie Myers Wood’s stories
#3 My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant
From the New York Times:

One day when I was 16, I rode my bike to the nearby D.M.V. office to get my driver’s permit…But when I handed the clerk my green card as proof of U.S. residency, she flipped it around, examining it. “This is fake,” she whispered. “Don’t come back here again.” Over the past 14 years, I’ve graduated from high school and college and built a career as a journalist, interviewing some of the most famous people in the country. On the surface, I’ve created a good life. I’ve lived the American dream. But I am still an undocumented immigrant. And that means living a different kind of reality.

#2 Congressional Budget Office warns of debt explosion
From the Washington Post:

The national debt will exceed the size of the entire U.S. economy by 2021 – and balloon to nearly 200 percent of GDP within 25 years – without dramatic cuts to federal health and retirement programs or steep tax increases, congressional budget analysts said Wednesday.

#1 GAO Report: Pentagon Must Provide Better Training for New Cyber Command Security System
From Daily Tech:

The Department of Defense’s (DOD) computer networks are especially at risk, according to the GAO. The department’s computer networks are scanned millions of times daily, and it is vital that security be increased as much as possible. To address the issue, the new Cyber Command is being put in place at its base in Fort Meade in Maryland along with the National Security Agency.

Rob Burton’s stories
#3 Issa introduces bill to reform Postal Service
From Federal News Radio:

New legislation to reform the inner workings of the financially-unstable U.S. Postal Service (USPS) would save at least $6 billion per year, according to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The bill, introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), would create a “solvency authority” to restructure USPS and cut costs.

#2 Congressman wants to halt insourcing
From Federal Computer Week:

A Republican congressman wants the Obama administration to declare a moratorium on insourcing across the government until the Office of Federal Procurement Policy issues its proimsed guide on the topic. Rep. Mick Mulvaney, (R-SC), also wants agencies to publish their rationale for insourcing contractor jobs and to give the public a chance to comment on it. Mulvaney is the chairman of the Small Business Committee’s contracting and workforce subcommittee.

#1 House Committee passes data transparency bill
From Federal News Radio:

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today passed the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2011. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) chairman of the committee and author of the bill, offered an amendment as a substitute, adding suggestions from agency inspector generals, the Government Accountability Office, transparency and open government groups and minority members of the committee.

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