Monday-Friday, 3-7pmwith Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris.
Analysis: Snow, closings set historic record for federal government
02-09-10
By Dorothy Ramienski
Internet Editor
Federal News Radio
The federal government closed early on Friday, and was shut down on Monday and Tuesday.
Federal News Radio continues to await the decision from the Office of Personnel Management regarding operating status on Wed., Feb. 10.
Senior Correspondent Mike Causey brings us analysis on the historic implications of all of the snow hitting the D.C. Region, and explained why he would never want to be in OPM Director John Berry's shoes.
"It is probably the single toughest call any OPM Director makes, because it has nationwide and worldwide implications. Everybody says -- 'Washington is a wimp city. The bureaucrats are staying home. They can't take a little snow,' -- so it's a very hard call."
Historically, Causey explained that some directors have actually gotten into a lot of trouble for making certain decisions.
"One was out in the mid-west campaigning -- I believe it was during the Clinton administration -- and she was stuck out there and made the call late and there were huge cries because of the danger that it put people through. . . . There was one who did release people early, but Metro wasn't ready for it and it created a major traffic jam for everybody, and it left those of us in the private sector without buses and subways. It's a lose-lose proposition."
Causey said, however, that he feels that the decision to close this week was smart, given the amount of snow on the ground.
Another bonus, in Causey's opinion, is that Berry grew up in this area and knows the local 'snow culture' so to speak.
"He knows this town. He knows the people. It helps that he grew up here. He likes federal workers and he doesn't want them hurt."
While The Washington Post has reported that keeping the federal government closed costs money, Causey said it's not as bad as it used to be because of advances in teleworking.
"There are a lot of people who are teleworking from home. It's familiar to them. They know the process. Presumably there's somebody in the office to bounce things off of. This is the perfect storm in a lot of ways, but I think this could be a turning point for teleworking."
Causey said, irregardless of who is working from where, this storm has set records in the D.C. Metropolitant area.
"Just look outside. If you don't have to be on the roads, don't be on the roads. We may all think we're important or essential or emergency, but . . . Don't risk your life."
Stay in touch with Federal News Radio throughout the day on your radio at 1500 and 820AM, and online at FederalNewsRadio.com.
We will bring you the latest update on the government's operating plan for Wednesday as soon as it becomes available to us.
Read more: Federal government operating status for Wednesday up in air
Read more: Mike Causey's Federal Report
Congress closes for most of the week
02-09-10
Much of Washington is closed thanks to last weekend's snowstorm.
While Congress often finds a way to stay open, this week lawmakers have decided back-to-back snowstorms are a good reason to be closed.
Federal News Radio's Max Cacas was on Capitol Hill today and has more.
OMB kicks of Tech-Stat program to watch troubled IT programs
02-09-10
The Veterans Affairs Department attracted lots of attention for temporarily stopping 45 troubled information technology programs last summer.
Now the Office of Management and Budget is taking that concept government-wide.
OMB kicked off the Tech-Stat program last month with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Federal News Radio's Jason Miller joins us with details of how Tech-Stat works.
Will the D.C. region become a federal disaster area?
02-09-10
With some 40-inches of snow falling in the region this week, some may be wondering if a disaster declaration is possible for Maryland, or Virginia, or D.C.?
David Silverberg is editor of Homeland Security Today.
He discusses that possibility, as well as his own research into how the U.S. has historically reacted to disasters.
Smart Grid gets cybersecurity focus
02-09-10
Cybersecurity Update - Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Jane Norris (6-10 a.m.) and The Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris (3-7 p.m.). Listen live at FederalNewsRadio.com or on the radio at 1500 and 820 AM in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
- The Smart Grid is getting a focus on cyber-security. Utilities around the world have initiated major infrastructure upgrades -- referred to as the Smart Grid. But there have been ongoing concerns about the security of those upgrades. A new report from Pike Research says that there is an intense focus on smart grid cyber-security. This intense focus is stimulating the development of a robust new smart grid cyber security sector, which Pike Research forecasts will increase from $1.2 billion last year to $3.7 billion by 2015. Furthermore, over the next five years, we anticipate that approximately $21 billion will be invested in global smart grid cyber security deployments. Read more about it -- Smart Grid, Smart Future? Energy 2.0 in the 21st Century
- Happy Safer Internet Day 2010. Yes, today is Safer Internet Day. You may not have heard of it because it is primarily a European event. It is sponsored by Insafe, a European network of Awareness Centres that work to promote safe, responsible use of the Internet and mobile devices to young people. The theme for the 7th annual Safe Internet Day: Think B4 U post! New technologies have turned all of us, and mostly young people, into publishers of information, pictures, and videos. And they warn that while these technologies bringing about new opportunities for personal expression and creativity, new technologies may also lead to embarrassing or even traumatic situations.
Census ad campaign causes controversy
02-09-10
The Census Bureau paid $2.5 million for an ad during the Super Bowl.
Their entire ad campaign runs about $130 million.
The whole idea is to raise awareness so people will return their Census forms.
But the campaign has turned out to be controversial, not just because of the cost.
Ed O'Keefe is the Federal Eye Blogger for the Washington Post.
Tuesday Afternoon Federal Newscast
02-09-10
Mother Nature's wrath has forced the U.S. House to scrap its work week. No. 2 House Democrat Steny Hoyer said Tuesday the body will not meet the rest of the week and no votes are scheduled. His comments came as Washington remained paralyzed from one blizzard and hunkered down in anticipation of a possible 10-20 inches more of snow. With Congress on a previously scheduled break next week for the Presidents' Day holiday, lawmakers won't be back in Washington until Feb. 22.
Get ready for round 3 of the battle for the Air Force's new tanker. The Air Force released a notice on FedBizOpps.gov Monday saying it plans on issuing a new solicitation for the KC-X Tanker Modernization Program no earlier than Feb. 23. The Air Force says proposals will be due not earlier than 75 days from the date of RFP release. Some observers estimate the contract could be worth $35 billion. Contract award is estimated by Sept. 30. The Air Force anticipates a single award but reserves the right to award multiple contracts or, not to award a contract at all, the notice states.
Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama will stop blocking Senate confirmation of about 70 government appointees nominated by President Barack Obama, his office said. Shelby had placed "holds" on most of Obama's nominees, delaying the Senate from acting on them, in a dispute over federal spending involving his state. A spokesman from his office said the Senator had wanted the White House's attention regarding the Air Force's aerial refueling tanker acquisition and the FBI's Terrorist Device Analytical Center. The Senator's spokesman said the holds have been lifted because Shelby feels like his voice has been heard.
Former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson predicted the U.S. government will regain every penny given to the nation's banks during the economic meltdown and may even profit. Billionaire Warren Buffett agreed with Paulson Tuesday that the bank bailout will eventually be profitable for the nation. The two men spoke at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting.
In a first for U.S. diplomacy, the State Department has used Twitter to announce an upcoming overseas trip by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Followers of the department's "Dipnote" Twitter feed were the first to get official word of Clinton's Feb. 13-16 trip to Qatar and Saudi Arabia shortly before 1:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday.
Other News Links
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Washington Post: U.S. proposes new climate service
NextGov: Organizations with large IT staffs are most apt to recruit via the Web
Wired's Danger Room: Why the Army doesn't train on XBoxes
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OPM: Federal government closed Tuesday
02-08-10
By Andrew Mitchell
Internet Editor
FederalNewsRadio.com
The Office of Personnel Management has closed the federal government in the D.C. region for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010.
Emergency employees are expected to report for work on time. Nonemergency employees (including employees on pre-approved leave) will be granted excused absence for the number of hours they were scheduled to work. This does not apply to employees on leave without pay, leave without pay for military duty, workers' compensation, suspension, or in another nonpay status.
Telework employees may be expected to work from their telework sites, as specified in their telework agreements.
Employees on alternative work schedules are not entitled to another AWS day off in lieu of the workday on which the agency is closed.
Director John Berry told Federal News Radio Monday he relies on information from the Washington region's Council of Governments (COG) and updates from the National Weather Service in deciding when to shut down the federal government due to snowfall.
Berry says that he also relies on the advice of local transit agencies, such as the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which runs Metrorail and Metrobus.
Another factor, Berry says, is whether schools are closed. So, even if the decision is made to open the federal government, "I'll always be careful when schools are closed to allow unscheduled leave," he explains.
Ultimately, Berry says, every such decision must weigh conflicting interests. He explains that he always asks himself this question: "Are we doing our best to protect safety of our employees and are we trying to keep the government open to the greatest extent that we can?"
The Washington region, which saw a crippling snowstorm over the weekend, is expecting another major snowfall Tuesday into Wednesday. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning, effective 12 p.m. Tuesday through 7 p.m. Wednesday. Projected snowfalls now range from 10 to 20 inches.
Former OPM Director Linda Springer also joined Federal News Radio this afternoon to discuss the responsibility of making the snow-closing call. Click hear to listen to that interview.
Former OPM director weighs in on difficulty of snow closing call
02-08-10
The federal government closed today, given the Blizzard of 2010 over the weekend.
But the decision about whether to close federal offices is one of the most difficult and complex decisions for the director of the Office of Personnel Management.
Linda Springer is the Executive Director of Government and the Public Sector for Ernst and Young.
Prior to that, however, she served as the director of the Office of Personnel Management and had the task of making the close/no-close decision. She joined us on The Daily Debrief.
We also spoke to current OPM Director John Berry about his decision on the government's operating status for Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2010. Berry says a decision will be made after 6 p.m. Monday evening. Read more here.
How are you spending your "snow holiday?"
02-08-10
How are you enjoying your "snow day" holiday today?
Are you even enjoying it, with all that snow that needs to be shoveled?
Some questions posted on GovLoop.com today asked feds to share how they've spent their day off.
GovLoop.com founder Steve Ressler talks to us about his Web site's forum on this topic.
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