Congressional Spotlight 
Top News
- IRS to pay $70M in bonuses, Grassley says
- Senators push Tangherlini for assurances GSA is improving
- As VA works to eliminate one backlog, one more might emerge
- BRAC-like commission proposed to hunt down government cost savings
- Postal Service closing Capitol Hill post offices in 'symbolic' move
- Senators seek cost cuts for F-35 fighter jet
- Fed pens new furlough song
- Web guru Dorris brings new life to government websites
- Navy strikes enterprise licensing deal with Oracle
- Contractors with security clearances lack path to report problems
- NSA leak case gives vendors reason to reevaluate personnel
- 8 contract executives guilty of 8(a) contracting fraud
- Whistleblower suit leads to $12M false claims settlement by SAIC
- USPS reaches energy reduction goal ahead of schedule
Senate budget bill extends federal pay freeze through 2013
Senate Democrats and Republicans released a 2013 government funding bill Monday that includes language to extend the federal pay freeze through the end of the calendar year, while providing additional funding for domestic priorities like health research and highway projects.
Senate Democrats unveil government funding bill
Senate Democrats unveil government funding bill to prevent shutdown as long-term battles loom
Agency cybersecurity deficiencies remain as attacks reach all-time high
Federal agencies reported more than 48,000 cyber attacks in 2012 and continue to struggle to defend their networks, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Senators are now renewing their push for comprehensive cyber legislation, which would include an update to FISMA.
Obama presses on with GOP charm offensive
Obama presses on with GOP charm offensive, extends lunch invitation to Paul Ryan
FBI investigating NASA whistleblower reports of Chinese data breach
Congressman Frank Wolf, whose subcommittee handles NASA's budget, said whistleblowers have reported a foreign national connected to an 'entity of concern' was allowed to exfiltrate sensitive data to China. The FBI is investigating the allegations.
After filibuster, Senate confirms Brennan for CIA
Senate confirms Brennan as CIA director after Paul filibuster, White House statement on drones
Sen. Carl Levin will not seek re-election in 2014
Democrat Levin says he will not seek re-election in 2014; creates open Senate seat in Michigan
Senate Democrat unveils bill preventing shutdown
Top Senate Democrat Mikulski unveils bill preventing government shutdown
Drugs, the department of justice and immigration
On this week's Capital Impact show, Bloomberg Government analysts will discuss health care fraud, sequestration, and immigration reform.
March 7, 2013
Members of Congress confident budget deal can be reached to avert shutdown
Congress missed the deadline to avert sequestration last week. And now a deadline to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month is barreling toward lawmakers. But members of both chambers and from both sides of the aisle say they're confident they can work out a deal to keep the government running.The likely sticking point is how the the automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, will continue to play out. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Sen. Tom Coburn (R- Okla.) discuss the continuing resolution and sequestration on In Depth with Francis Rose.
House puts damper on USPS plan for 5-day delivery
The fiscal 2013 spending bill doesn't remove the requirement for the Postal Service to deliver first-class mail six days a week. Other provisions in the bill povide a boost in funding DHS cyber, DoD acquisition and VA IT spending.
Farenthold bill offers way to stop sequestration-related furloughs
The Protecting America's Civilian Employees Act would require the Office of Management and Budget to submit a plan to Congress on how they would cut spending without harming the federal workforce.
Senator ends long floor speech blocking CIA pick
Kentucky senator ends lengthy speech blocking Obama's nominee to lead CIA
Too much money spent in Iraq for too few results
10 years later, final watchdog report concludes US spent too much, for too little, in Iraq
House spending bill prevents shutdown, extends pay freeze
The House has approved legislation to prevent a government shutdown at the end of the month, freeze federal pay for a third straight year and give the Defense Department some relief from a cash crunch caused by sequestration. The huge spending measure, which was passed on a 267-151 vote, would fund federal operations through September. It leaves in place automatic cuts of 5 percent to domestic agencies and 7.8 percent to the Pentagon ordered by President Barack Obama Friday night after months of battling Republicans over the budget.
IG: Billions wasted on Iraq reconstruction
In his final report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen's conclusion was all too clear: Since the invasion a decade ago this month, the U.S. has spent too much money in Iraq for too few results.
Joint Chiefs welcome House fiscal 2013 budget proposal
The lower chamber's bill would significantly soften the blow against DoD and potentially eliminate current plans such as civilian furloughs because of the automatic budget cuts. The remainder of the government would remain under both sequestration and a full-year continuing resolution.
Military leaders welcome House GOP budget bill
Military leaders say House GOP budget bill will ease some of the pain of defense cuts
The impact of sequestration
Host Roger Waldron talks sequestration with Deltek's Ray Bjorklund, and Bloomberg Government's Cameron Leuthy.
March 5, 2013
House budget plan includes fed pay freeze extension
House Republicans unveiled a stopgap government funding measure Monday. The measure would extend the federal pay freeze and leave in place automatic sequestration cuts but would award the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments their detailed 2013 budgets while other agencies would be frozen at 2012 levels -- and then bear the across-the-board cuts. The current continuing resolution expires March 27.
