Congressional Spotlight 
Top News
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- Proposed commission would give teeth to cost-saving ideas but some lawmakers skeptical
- Feds outside the Beltway react to furloughs
- Contracting executives guilty of 8(a) program fraud
- EPA CIO Jackson returning to private sector
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- 29-year-old NASA engineer going where no one has gone before
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
- NOAA meteorologist helps save lives one storm at a time
- ICE Director John Morton stepping down
- NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- NIH tops list of best companies for baby boomers
- Latest postal reform proposal OKs 5-day delivery
- IRS official contradicts claims about reviews
- House presses VA for more details after cyber attacks
- DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition
Congress News
- Proposed commission would give teeth to cost-saving ideas but some lawmakers skeptical
- House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
- FBI director gets another House grilling
- DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition from Congress
- Lawmakers, industry press OFPP not to make strategic sourcing mandatory
Proposed commission would give teeth to cost-saving ideas but some lawmakers skeptical
A new commission, proposed by David Walker, former U.S. comptroller general, would recommend ways to streamline government by removing duplication and extraneous spending from government agencies. Federal-employee unions criticized the proposal and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee lawmakers expressed skepticism that such a proposal could get congressional approval.
House passes sweeping $638 billion defense bill
The House bill containing the provisions on sex-related crimes that the Obama administration supports as well as the detention policies that it vigorously opposes must be reconciled with a Senate version before heading to the president's desk.
FBI director gets another House grilling
Mueller gets another grilling on major FBI probes in final appearance before House panel
DoD maintains BRAC fight, despite opposition from Congress
Amid nearly unanimous congressional opposition, the Defense Department says it needs to stop operating military facilities it no longer wants or needs.
Lawmakers, industry press OFPP not to make strategic sourcing mandatory
The House Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and the Workforce is searching for answers about the potential impact on competition if the White House mandates the use of strategic sourcing contracts. Four industry associations provided little support for compulsory use, citing potential risks to the government and harm to vendors.
House OKs 2-year sentence for military sex assault
House backs mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years in prison for sexual assault in the military
Issa's postal reform proposal OKs 5-day delivery, modifies prefunding
House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) released a draft postal reform bill that supports ending Saturday mail delivery and would modify how the agency pre-funds retiree health-care payments that now threaten to sink the agency into financial insolvency. Congressional postal reform efforts have remained dormant so far this year, even as the Postal Service's financial outlook has worsened.
NSA head says spy programs thwarted terror attacks
NSA director says surveillance programs disrupted dozens of terrorist attacks
Industry driving development of first-ever critical infrastructure cyber framework
NIST, charged with developing the nation's first-ever cybersecurity baseline for critical infrastructure, says its job is to provide technical assistance to companies, but industry itself must lead the way. Gen. Keith Alexander said NSA will review the use of contractors.
Regulatory czar nominee pledges to speed up review process
President Barack Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) pledged to clear up delays in the regulatory process if confirmed by the Senate. Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday, Howard Shelanski said improving the timeliness of OIRA's work -- which has come in for criticism from Republican lawmakers and transparency groups, alike -- is among his top priorities.
Obama's ATF nominee gets Senate hearing
Obama's ATF choice gets Senate hearing _ something afforded few of his predecessors
DoD assures Congress contractors will share in the pain of sequestration
The Defense Department is examining all of its contracts as part of the reductions necessary under automatic budget cuts. Reductions to contractors, not civilians, will make up "the majority" of the cost savings.
Rep. Issa heading down familiar path for IT reform; Senate still in discovery mode
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) plans to offer the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) as an amendment later this week to the 2013 Defense Authorization bill. The Senate held a hearing looking at the best approach to empower federal CIOs. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee heard that transparency, visibility and senior leadership are common traits among successful CIOs.
Bill aims to slash Medicare waste and fraud
The Medicare program made $44 billion in improper payments in 2013. A bipartisan bill designed to prevent fraudsters from milking the system calls for contractors to increase accuracy and for beneficiaries to report fraud.
New BRAC round hits dead end
The Senate Armed Services readiness subcommittee approved legislation rejecting the Pentagon's request to shutter installations and facilities in the United States that are no longer needed.
Hagel: Budget forces review of outside contracts
Hagel says budget forces review of outside contractors such as NSA leaker
2 Obama cabinet nominees clear Senate committee
Obama's nominees to head Commerce, Transportation win Senate committee approval
IRS official apologizes for lavish $4M conference
An Internal Revenue Service official whose division staged a $4.1 million training conference and who starred as Mr. Spock in a "Star Trek" parody shown at the 2010 gathering conceded to Congress on Thursday that taxpayer dollars were wasted in the episode.
Pentagon preparing 2014 spending plan that factors in sequestration
By July 1, the Pentagon will provide the Senate Armed Services Committee its plan for managing reduced fiscal 2014 budget levels, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in a speech Wednesday. The committee had asked DoD to provide a list of spending reductions after the White House submitted a budget proposal for next fiscal year that simply ignored sequestration, ostensibly in the hope that the automatic budget cuts would be canceled or otherwise avoided in 2014.
House passes $45B homeland security spending bill
House passes $45B homeland security bill boosting spending above current levels
