Thursday federal headlines – February 26, 2015

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on Federal News Radio each day. It is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com reade...

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive and In Depth radio shows each day. Our headlines are updated twice per day — once in the morning and once in the afternoon — with the latest news affecting federal employees and contractors.

  • The Coast Guard may have approved unnecessary travel as part of its Travel to Obtain Health Care program. The Coast Guard spent $4.5 million on medical travel for its service members stationed outside the U.S. between 2010 and 2014. The inspector general called the Coast Guard’s process for reviewing travel inconsistent and inadequate. (GovExec)
  • The Defense Information Systems Agency put its joint enteprise licensing agreement with VMWare on hold. Defense Systems reports four companies filed protests with the Government Accountability Office. Amazon Web Services, Citrix, Minburn Technology Group and Nutanix said VMWare has an unfair advantage. The deal also could also give VMWare agreements for desktop and storage services. But protesters said other companies could and should be able to compete for those other services. DISA’s contract is worth $1.6 billion. (Defense Systems)
  • A government watchdog filed a complaint over a congressman’s travel spending. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, or CREW, wants to know if Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) used campaign funds for his private air travel. CREW said evidence warrants a full investigation of the Illinois Republican. An Associated Press review found Schock spent more than $40,000 on a dozen flights. He may have also used campaign funds to pay for a massage and music concerts. Schock allegedly used the money to take his interns to a Katy Perry concert. (Federal News Radio)
  • The Transportation Security Administration said more than 90 percent of its employees would still report to work in the event of a shutdown. In a blog post, TSA said that means most employees would be working, but they wouldn’t receive a paycheck until the shutdown ends. The agency said only 6 percent of the workforce would be furloughed. But a number of operations would stop temporarily. Those included hiring, required training and travel related to security inspections. TSA said the potential shutdown could also delay deployment of security technology equipment. (TSA)
  • A Senate vote on funding the Homeland Security Department could come as early as today. It cleared a procedural vote yesterday, paving the way for a final vote. The latest version of the bill omits language favored by Republicans that limits the President’s action on immigration. While the so-called clean version is likely to pass the Senate, it remains unclear whether the House would go along. Its version retains the immigration language. Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he was in a wait-and-see mode on what the Senate does first. The continuing resolution now funding the department expires at midnight Friday. (Federal News Radio)
  • The U.S. envoy for the Islamic State fight said thousands of airstrikes have blunted the militants’ tactical momentum in Iraq. Retired Marine Gen. John Allen told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the Islamic State militants remain a formidable foe. But he says U.S. and coalition forces have degraded its leadership and hampered its logistical capabilities. He said the Islamic State no longer has sanctuary in Iraq. He said the Islamic State has lost half its leadership there. Allen told senators any aura of the invincibility of the militants has been shattered. (Federal News Radio)
  • How much money do you make? That’s what Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mass.) asked inspectors general. She said some IGs might make twice as much as others. McCaskill cited Patrick O’Carroll, the Social Security Administration’s IG. His salary is $170,000, while some IGs make up to $320,000. McCaskill asked the leader of the inspectors general council to deliver salary information on all IGs. Council Chairman Michael Horowitz said he doesn’t have that information but would get back to McCaskill. (Gov Exec)
  • Cyber armageddon is unlikely to hit the United States. A more likely scenario is an ongoing series of lower-level attacks on selected areas of the economy. That’s according to the latest global threats report from James Clapper, the director of national intelligence. Bloomberg reports Clapper said the continuous attacks will impose cumulative costs on economic competitiveness and national security. He said insertion of malware in the electronics supply chain is a major risk. But he said detection techniques have improved to where hackers can no longer assume they can’t be identified. Clapper will deliver the report to the Senate Armed Services Committee today. (Bloomberg Government)
  • A fellowship program will let 20 sergeants major teach the next generation of sergeants major in the Army. The one-year program will offer fellows a master’s degree in adult education from Penn State University. They’ll also get week-long certification courses to be an instructor. The fellowship takes place at Fort Bliss in Texas. Active duty, non-commissioned officers are eligible to apply. After fellows receive their master’s, they’ll serve three years as instructors in the sergeants major course. (Army)
  • The U.S. Agency for International Development is helping Liberia re-open schools. More than 4,400 schools closed last August during the peak of the Ebola outbreak. USAID said the Education Crisis Response program will let children return to school safely. The program is helping Liberia’s Ministry of Education put strict protocols in place. Schools will have to take temperatures daily of children and teachers. They’ll also have specific hand-washing requirements. The program will train Liberian teachers to monitor students’ symptoms and refer them to local health centers if necessary. (USAID)
  • The General Services Administration plans to release a request for proposals for a new telecommunications contract. The Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions deal will begin to replace the Networx contracts now in place. Program Manager Fred Haines told Federal Times the RFP will be issued Saturday. EIS is part of a larger strategy called Network Services 2020. It will give agencies lots of communications options over the next decade. Networx contracts expire in 2017, but the GSA plans to extend them to 2020 so agencies have time to switch vendors. ( Federal Times )

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