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
FDA Commissioner: budget cuts mean less safe food
FDA Commissioner Hamburg says budget cuts mean fewer inspections, less safe food
Cuts imminent, Senate rejects stopgap efforts
Cuts coming: With time short, Senate scuttles rival plans to head off the automatic reductions
Sequestration is upon us
On this week's Bloomberg Government Capital Impact show, analysts will discuss sequestration and its impact on Congress.
February 28, 2013
Lew set to start at Treasury as budget cuts loom
Confirmed by Senate, Lew to start at Treasury a day before big budget cuts set to take effect
OMB directs agencies to stop most discretionary bonuses under sequestration
The administration issued new guidance late Wednesday detailing specific steps agencies should take as sequestration now is one-day away. Danny Werfel, OMB's controller, told agency leaders to place "increased scrutiny" around several personnel issues, including new hires, training, travel and conferences.
Sequestration treadmill picking up steam across DoD
The automatic budget cuts set to occur under sequestration will go into effect as a matter of law on Friday. But their full impact won't be felt until late this spring, long after lawmakers encounter the next budget showdown.
IT reform bill needs to 'beef up' people section, experts say
Rep. Darrell Issa plans to formally introduce the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act before the end of March. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held its second hearing on the draft bill. Current and former federal officials say the bill should place a stronger emphasis on project management and workforce issues.
As budget cuts loom, is government shutdown next?
With budget cuts imminent, Congress turning to avoiding government shutdown in less than month
Transition, sequestration, furloughs, and more
Career expert and author John Grobe, Federal News Radio's Julia Ziegler, and Federal Times senior writer Stephen Losey will discuss sequestration and other issues affecting federal workers.
February 27, 2013
House committee worried DoD, VA 'moving the goal posts' on e-health records
A House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on the decision by the Defense and Veterans Affairs Departments to scale back plans for a joint integrated electronic-health records systems dredged up longstanding issues with the two departments' EHR efforts.
House Democrat to offer bill ending automatic cuts
Rep. Smith to propose bill to end automatic budget cuts while also trimming federal spending
Senate confirms Hagel for defense secretary
Senate votes to confirm President Barack Obama's pick of Chuck Hagel for defense secretary
Sequestration: What does it mean for procurement?
Beth Farrell and Jim Schweiter from McKenna Long and Aldridge LLP discuss how agencies and contractors will be affected by procurement.
February 26, 2013
Military leaders say Congress must stop sequester
Military leaders say automatic budget cuts will undercut ability to confront global threats
US Senate panel backs Lew nomination for Treasury
Senate Finance Committee approves Obama's nominee Jacob Lew to be US Treasury secretary
Obama warns of risks over budget cut uncertainty
Obama warns that uncertainty over budget cuts already taking hold ahead of Friday deadline
Senate panel likely to vote this week on CIA pick
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee says she expects the panel to vote later this week on the nomination of John Brennan to be director of the CIA.
Politics and the budget
Dr. Kenneth Gold and Dr. Susan S. Lagon, from Georgetown University's Government Affairs Institute, discuss the political landscape and the budget situation on Capitol Hill.
February 25, 2013
Glance: Lawmakers seek end to draft registration
Glance: Lawmakers seek end to draft registration
Coburn calls for partial federal job freeze as sequestration nears
The Republican senator from Oklahoma is asking the Office of Management and Budget to require agencies to stop hiring for certain positions. Instead, he would like that funding put towards mission critical jobs that could be affected by sequestration cuts. Coburn, the ranking member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, found 10 jobs listed on USAJobs.gov that he believes could be frozen. He says this would give agencies $1.4 million to spend on positions like border security officers and TSA screeners.
