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
Hitting the debt limit: What bills would be paid?
Reiterating a threat he first issued in the summer of 2011, President Barack Obama on Monday warned Republicans that older Americans might not get their Social Security checks and veterans won't get timely benefits if Congress fails to increase the government's borrowing authority.
Boehner: GOP will pass 'responsible' debt bill
Speaker John Boehner says the GOP-controlled House will "do its job" and pass legislation to lift the nation's borrowing cap and keep the government running, but will insist that Democrats accept new spending controls.
Air Force's sequestration hit would mean less of everything
Air Force commanders will get orders in the next few days to plan for the possibility of fewer flying hours, providing fewer office supplies and working on fewer IT upgrades. Part of the service's planning will be to figure out how many civilian workers would need to be furloughed and for how long.
Treasury: Trillion-dollar coin would not be legal
Treasury Department spokesman Anthony Coley said Saturday that neither his department nor the Federal Reserve believes the law can or should be used to produce such a $1 trillion coin to avoid a coming battle with Congress over government borrowing.
Boehner invites Obama to give State of the Union
House Speaker John Boehner (BAY'-nur) has invited President Barack Obama to deliver the State of the Union speech on Feb. 12.
Pentagon orders planning for civilian furloughs, other cutbacks
Defense Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter told DoD components Thursday to draw up plans for full-year continuing resolution, plus sequestration. The approach to deal with across-the-board cuts would be to freeze civilian hiring, cut training, travel and conferences and reduce business technology expenditures.
NASA's $1 billion opportunities and a preview of the 113th
On this week's Bloomberg Government Capital Impact show, analysts examine NASA's acquisition forecast for this year, and the legislative agenda on Capitol Hill.
January 10, 2013
Warner seeks to 'clean house' on outdated agency reports
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said he plans to introduce legislation allowing for the elimination or consolidation of outdated or redundant agency reports. Cutting back on unnecessary reporting requirements is part of the 2010 Government Performance and Results Modernization Act.
Bowles: 'No easy way' to get books back in order
The co-chairman of the U.S. deficit commission calls failure to agree on a plan to reduce the national debt "the most disappointing thing in my life."
Sequestration 2.0 would mean furloughs for DoD's entire civilian workforce
New version of sequestration would reduce overall tab to DoD but compress across-the-board cuts into just seven months. A leading-think tank's "back of the envelope" calculations show the military would have to furlough almost every civilian.
Are happy days here again for the TSP?
Financial planner Arthur Stein, will answer your questions about the Thrift Savings Plan, and give advice on what you should be doing with your TSP accounts.
January 9, 2013
OMB proposes to eliminate, consolidate 376 reports
The White House submitted a report to Congress as part of the GPRA Modernization Act that details hundreds of unnecessary reports and studies. The report listed 70 DoD reports as well as the desire to streamline the report on duplicate reports.
Army will keep tanks rolling out of Ohio plant
A new defense spending plan will keep the nation's only tank manufacturing plant operating through the next two years, ending months of worry about the future of the factory where about 800 workers refurbish the Abrams tanks.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 9, 2013
Theresa Kern, a member of Women Construction Owners and Executives, discusses a new provision in the 2013 Defense Authorization Bill that helps women-owned, small construction companies. Grant McLaughlin of Booz Allen Hamilton talks about a new social media guide for feds. Alex Bolton of The Hill newspaper previews the upcoming confirmation season. Matthew Zisman of Bloomberg Government talks about new contracts for NASA.
GOP senator threatens delay on CIA nomination
President Barack Obama's choice of John Brennan to be the next CIA director hit a snag Tuesday as a Republican senator threatened to delay the nomination until the Obama administration provides answers on the deadly assault in Libya that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 8, 2013
Martin Libicki of Rand Corp talks about the 2013 Defense Authorization Bill. Dov Zakheim reviews what DoD Secretary-nominee Chuck Hagel can expect from Congress. Attorney Mark Schamel explains how the Defense Authorization Bill helps off-duty law enforcement agents. Erik Olson of the Pew Health Group discusses new food safety rules issued by the FDA. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service previews the SAMMIE nomination process. Katherine McFate discusses OMB Watch's name change.
The top ten federal stories of 2012
Michael Keating, senior editor for Government Product News, joins host Mark Amtower to talk about the GSA scandal, and other big stories in 2012.
January 7, 2013
Federal Drive Interviews -- Jan. 7, 2013
Jimmy Christianson of the Associated General Contractors of America discusses government construction projects currently underway. Billy House of the National Journal talks about an article he wrote on the new Congress. Roger Waldron, president of the Coalition for Government Procurement, talks about GSA's Multiple Awards Schedule. Tim Solms of Microsoft discusses a new deal his company signed with DoD. Lisa Wolfe of Federal News Radio sheds light on a new website for federal job seekers. Brian Friel of Bloomberg Government talks about the new bill providing federal Sandy relief spending.
Federal jobs outlook for 2013
Host Derrick Dortch will discuss the latest federal hiring issues with Linda Rix, co-CEO of Avue Technologies.
January 4, 2013(Encore presentation January 18, 2013)
CBO: 'Cliff' deal leaves big deficits in place
Legislation passed this week to avert the "fiscal cliff" could still leave in place deficits averaging more than $900 billion a year over the coming decade if Congress fails to follow its tax increases up with further spending cuts or tax hikes, the nonpartisan scorekeeper for Congress said Friday.
