Search Tags:  Tom Coburn

Report: Social Security lax on disability claims

Social Security is so overwhelmed by disability claims that some officials are awarding benefits without adequately reviewing applications, potentially adding to the program's financial problems as it edges closer to the brink of insolvency, congressional investigators say in a new report.

Tags: SSA , Disability benefits ,

2

Bill would give DoD incentives to audit its books on time

New legislation from several senators would let DoD reprogram funds without congressional approval.

Tags: management , Congress , DoD , GAO , 2011 Defense Authorization , Taeja Smith , Elizabeth Robbins , financial management , Joe Manchin , Claire McCaskill , Ron Johnson

Comment

Incomplete SSA records lead to payments to dead people

Information regarding a person's death is not always correctly transferred between the Social Security Administration's databases, according to a new report from the agency's inspector general. As a result, various agencies may be sending money to dead people or fraudsters.

Tags: SSA , improper payments , oversight , financial management , Esther Carey

8

CBO: House bill requiring detailed program inventories will cost $100M

A House bill designed to reduce government redundancy by requiring agencies to provide detailed reports about the programs they operate will cost about $100 million for agencies to implement, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis. The Taxpayers Right to Know Act, introduced by Rep. James Lankford, would required agencies to publicly post detailed information about each of the program they operate, including costs and the number of employee dedicated to them.

Tags: James Lankford , budget , duplication , CBO , Taxpayers Right To Know Act ,

Comment

Agency performance reporting lags under wasteful spending initiative

A report by the Congressional Research Service finds it's not clear whether agencies are meeting performance goals set out a June 2011 executive order to make the federal government more efficient and accountable.

Tags: CRS , transparency , GAT Board , RAT Board , technology , Campaign to Cut Waste , Barack Obama , Joe Biden

2

Agencies sitting on $70B in unspent funds, report finds

A congressional report released today outlines $70 billion of unspent federal dollars that could have helped disaster victims, spurred highway construction and fund education programs.

Tags: budget , financial management , Congress , Senate

2

Senators call for GSA chief to look at PBS structure

In a letter to Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini, a bipartisan group of senators called for an evaluation of the structure of GSA's Public Buildings Service, tying it to the wasteful spending of the Las Vegas scandal.

Tags: PBS , Public Buildings Service , GSA , Shakeup at GSA , Congress , Dan Tangherlini , Tom Carper , Mark Pryor , Rob Portman

Comment

Senate OKs postal amendments to limit conference spending, stave off closures

In a marathon series of votes Tuesday, the Senate considered more than a dozen amendments to a postal reform bill, approving a provision to limit all federal agencies' spending on conferences, but voting down an amendment expanding the federal workers' compensation program. Lawmakers also rejected an amendment that would have required retirement-eligible USPS employees to retire without a buyout payment. The Senate will resume voting on amendments Wednesday at 2 p.m. before voting on a final version of the 21st Century Postal Service Act.

Tags: Senate , budget , Congress , USPS , conference spending , Susan Collins , Joe Lieberman , Tom Carper , Scott Brown , Daniel Akaka , FECA , NTEU

Comment

Legislative changes needed to make bigger dent in improper payments

OMB controller Danny Werfel said the computer matching provisions in the Privacy Act make it harder for agencies to share information that would make stopping or finding waste, fraud and abuse easier. Senate lawmakers agreed they need to update the law to protect information but reduce the complexities.

Tags: management , financial management , Danny Werfel , Tom Carper , OMB , Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Co , GAO , HHS , CMS , Recovery audits , improper payments , waste, fraud and abuse , IRS , SSA , Tax delinquent contractors , industry , Jason Miller

Comment

Lieberman puts reorg authority on 'bucket list'

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has sponsored legislation to revive the fast-track authority requested by President Barack Obama. Other senators, however, want more details before signing off on the plan that, in part, would allow the President to merge overlapping business- and trade-related agencies.

Tags: GAO , duplication , waste , Senate , Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee , Joe Lieberman , Susan Collins , Patricia Dalton , Danny Werfel , USTR , Emily Kopp , Barack Obama , management , government reorganizatio , workforce

Comment