Federal News Countdown: Pay freeze, government funding and overstretched agencies

Bob Otto, executive vice president for advisory services at Agilex, and Robert Shea, principal at Grant Thornton, count down the top federal news stories of the...

Today’s guests on the Federal News Countdown:
Bob Otto, executive vice president for advisory services, Agilex
– Robert Shea, principal, Grant Thornton

*Agilex is hosting a “watchathon” to benefit SafeSpot Chidlren’s Advocacy Center of Fairfax County. Click here for more information.

Bob Otto’s stories
#3 The most overstretched agencies, according to feds
From Federal Times:

Most of the agencies that ranked in the bottom 25 in the eyes of their employees as being overstretched are in the Agriculture, Homeland Security, Interior, Education and Commerce departments, according to the data.

#2 Of policy and petabytes: Shaping the use of big data
From FCW:

No one knows for certain where big data is headed, but its future will be inextricably tied to the policies that govern the ways in which government agencies and corporations use ever-increasing amounts of information about individuals and the world we live in

#1 Oversight Committee Passes IT Reform Act, Giving CIOs Budget Authority
From Nextgov:

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee unanimously passed legislation on Wednesday that would mark the most significant reform in more than a decade to the way the government purchases information technology.


Robert Shea’s stories
#3Pope Francis Celebrates Inaugural Mass
From Wall Street Journal:

The Catholic Church’s first New World pontiff formally began his ministry Tuesday with a call for politicians, priests and others in positions of power to protect society’s weakest and poorest members.

#2 House Oversight Committee Approves Multiple Bills on Government Operations
From Bloomberg Government:

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee March 20 approved 13 transparency, recordkeeping, and the overall efficiency and management of the federal government.The committee considered several bills designed to enhance the transparency of the federal government, including a bill (H.R.1211) to improve the responsiveness of federal agencies to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

#1 Congress averts shutdown, extends pay freeze in 2013 funding bill
From Federal News Radio:

The House and Senate this week approved a huge stopgap spending bill funding federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year and heading off a potential government shutdown later this month. The measure keeps in place the steep across-the-board budget cuts, known as sequestration, but provides Cabinet-level agencies some cushion. The measure also extends the federal pay freeze through Dec. 31 and imposes a de facto ban on the U.S. Postal Service’s plan to end Saturday delivery.

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