Friday federal headlines – May 15, 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 Veterans Affairs Department’s top acquisition official blasts the department for $5 billion worth of improper payments for medical care and supplies. Jan Frye, assistant VA secretary for acquisition and logistics, tells a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee that gross mismanagement at VA makes a mockery of acquisition laws and regulations. Secretary Bob McDonald responded by saying he’ll refer Frye’s findings to the VA’s inspector general. Frye said VA buyers have illegally purchased pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and said that puts veterans health and safety at risk. Frye’s allegations first came out earlier this year in a 35-page memo. (Federal News Radio)
  • A new survey finds the government has taken a step back when it comes to national security. (ISC)2 surveyed nearly 2,000 federal information security employees. Almost half of respondents say their agencies’ security hasn’t improved in the last two years. Almost one in five said the security is actually worse. That’s mostly because they haven’t kept pace with new cyber threats and they don’t have a good understanding of risk management. Many respondents also say they don’t have enough security employees to meet their needs. NIST’s cyber framework is getting little return on investment. Only 15 percent of organizations outside government are using it. (ISC2)
  • Pay special attention to your inbox. You might be one of a few hundred- thousand people asked to complete the 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Office of Personnel Management director Katherine Archuleta said the survey will be open until early June. In a blog post, she listed four reasons to fill it out if you are asked. Including the fact that it’s a sample, and not everyone gets a chance. Archuleta points out responses are confidential, and the results have an impact. Federal executives and members of Congress follow the results closely. Archuleta added that the Viewpoint Survey is a great chance to tell your boss exactly what you think. (OPM)
  • With so many professional services contract vehicles out there, it can be tough for contracting officers to get a handle on prevailing labor rates. The General Services Administration aims to fix that. It launches an online calculator to help agency managers know the average rates for various jobs on its services vehicles. For instance, you can pick a labor category like programmer or actuary. Then filter it by experience, level of education, and contract vehicle. Labor rates paid, if available, pop out instantly on a graph. GSA calls it the Contract Awarded Labor Category, or Calc, tool. GSA said it covers 48,000 categories and 5,000 recent contracts. (GSA)
  • The House passes a bill to clarify how border patrol agents will get paid. Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) aims to clear up confusion by giving Homeland Security a deadline to implement the new pay scale and overtime system. The House Oversight Committee says Customs and Border Protection misinterpreted parts of the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act, which became law last December. The confusion would have required agents to pay back money they received from overtime. It also means agents wouldn’t be paid for overtime for a month in 2015, even if they were asked to work those hours. (House Coversight Committee)
  • The Army contracts with Thales to develop radio systems under an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity award. The contract has a five year base period, with a five year option. The maximum cost through 2025 is $3.9 billion dollars. Thales said it will offer a Rifleman Radio, which provides voice and data at the same time. The Army will begin deploying approved radios to the field starting in 2017. (UPI)
  • A contracting official and contractor were indicted for wire fraud. Tony Chandler was a contracting officer with the State Department and Marvin Husley was program manager for a government contractor. For two years, Chandler and Husley allegedly created fake invoices that they submitted to the State Department. That caused the agency to make fraudulent payments to the contractor. (Justice Department)
  • Admiral James Winnefeld, vice-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, makes the case for the Defense Department and industry to work more closely. At a Pentagon industry day, Winnefeld pointed out that the military’s research and development budget has dropped steadily over the last several years. He said much brainpower and development is taking place outside the traditional defense industrial base. And that the military needs to harness the technology coming out of that non-traditional sector. Winnefeld said Google’s market capitalization is twice as big as General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Raytheon combined. He says Apple CEO Tim Cook could buy the entire defense industry with cash. (DoD)

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