Congressional Spotlight 
Top News
- 5 percent of federal workers to be furloughed Friday
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Katherine Archuleta chosen as next OPM director
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements
- Federal retirement funds temporarily tapped
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
- Thursday federal headlines - May 23, 2013
Panel rejects Pentagon's request for base closings
House subcommittee says no to Pentagon's request for a new round of military base closings
Broke no laws, IRS official says _ then takes 5th
IRS official in targeting probe says she did nothing wrong _ then says no more, taking the 5th
Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management want to know why the NRC spent millions of dollars to renovate office space it may never use. DHS and HHS were praised by the committee for their approach to consolidating office space.
IRS official to take the 5th at House hearing
IRS official who runs division that targeted tea party groups to take the 5th before Congress
House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and the Pentagon would be spared under the plan approved by the House Appropriations Committee on a party-line vote.
Treasury officials told of IRS probe in June 2012
Investigator says he told top Treasury officials of IRS probe in June of campaign year 2012
House bill protects homeland security budget
House bill protects homeland security budget from cuts facing other agencies
Bonuses to senior execs under fire at GSA, other agencies
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and the GSA inspector general released separate, but related, reports that show GSA abused its authority to give Senior Executive Service (SES) members bonuses between 2009 and 2011. GSA official said they have since fixed these problems. McCaskill also found that on average the Labor Department, the Navy and the National Science Foundation handed out more than one bonus per SES employee.
Obama picks budget official to run troubled IRS
Obama picks senior White House budget official to run troubled IRS as 2nd top official leaves
Senate confirms former nurse to run Medicare
By an overwhelming 91-7 vote, the Senate confirmed Marilyn Tavenner to oversee Medicare, Medicaid, children's health insurance and coverage for the uninsured under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
GAO, OMB spar over whether to measure data center cost savings
Government auditors told House Oversight and Government Affairs members that saving money from closing more than 1,000 data centers needs to be metric. OMB said optimization of core data centers is a more important measure than straight cost savings.
Hagel makes 'difficult choice,' civilian furloughs to begin July 8
The Defense Department reduces the number of furlough days from 14 to 11. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said it's possible the number could drop further, but he offered no promises.
Justice investigating IRS targeting of tea party
Justice investigating IRS targeting of tea party; government watchdog blames lax management
DOD poised to trim furlough days, add exemptions
Pentagon poised to trim number of civilian furlough days, expand pool of exempt workers
DoD's military construction budget appears safe from sequestration cuts
Funding reductions in 2013 appropriations act are sufficient to protect military construction accounts from further sequestration cuts, but funds used for upkeep on existing buildings are severely impacted.
Fundraising from HHS secretary draws scrutiny
A fundraising push by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is drawing criticism from a key Senate Republican who questions whether she has a conflict of interest.
Will sequestration, retirement wave derail OPM's backlog goal
The Office of Personnel Management has made steady progress chipping away at a longstanding backlog of retirement claims. But Oversight Committee lawmakers and other government watchdogs remain concerned that the absence of a long-term plan to overhaul the mostly paper-based process combined with across-the-board budget cuts and a lack of strong leadership within OPM could stall or derail the progress the agency has made.
House passes bill to prioritize US debt payments
House passes bill to prioritize US payments to bondholders and Social Security recipients
Former US official describes Libya attack
Former US official in Tripoli describes confusion, call with Clinton during Benghazi attack
Panel votes to ban bonuses at Veterans Affairs
Members of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs voted Wednesday to place a five-year moratorium on bonuses to senior executives at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
