Air Force brass worried it could lose air superiority in the future

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive.

• Shrinking and aging fleets have Air Force brass worried it won’t be able to stop well-coordinated attacks in the future. A new study commissioned by the branch’s chief of staff projects could lose air superiority by 2030 to emerging threats with advanced fighter aircraft, sensors, and weapons. (Air Force)

• The Justice Department says a key piece of the Veterans Choice Act is unconstitutional. Administrative judges at the Merit Systems Protection Board have the final decision on disciplinary cases for senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department. But Attorney General Loretta Lynch says it doesn’t make sense that a federal employee can overrule a decision from a Cabinet secretary. Lynch said DOJ will still uphold the vast majority of the V-A Choice Act. (Federal News Radio)

• Homeland Security’s cybersecurity response plan has some serious holes. That’s according to the department’s own advisory council. It tells Secretary Jeh Johnson, the department needs stronger connections to industry in the event of an attack on critical infrastructure. The council urged better communication to gauge the scale and severity of an attack. (Federal News Radio)

• Blue Cross Blue Shield joins the growing number of health insurers who are unhappy with the Department of Health and Human Services. The Wall Street Journal reports its North Carolina sector is suing the federal government for paying only part of the $147 million owed to it under an Affordable Care Act program which was supposed to limit financial risks insurers face under the law. The suit follows a similar one filed last month by Highmark Health’s insurance arm, and an earlier one in February from Health Republic Insurance Company. (The Wall Street Journal)

• Robert Cardillo, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, announces St. Louis as the official selection for the Next NGA West Campus. Four sites were proposed overall. In the Record of Decision the agency says the city held an advantage over other options in flexibility and vision of the future for NGA. (NGA)

• Two agencies combine forces hoping to end veteran homelessness. The departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development are awarding nearly $38 million in rental assistance for veterans without homes. It’s being provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program. HUD says over 5200 veterans are currently homeless. (HUD)

• A group of 22 senators want the Department of Health and Human Services to give more people access to medicated assisted therapy for treating opioid addiction. A recently proposed rule by HHS raises the patient cap for the program from 100 to 200, but in a letter, the Senators say they want to see that number go up to 500. They say raising it to only 200 won’t have a big enough effect on the market place to make the main medication buprenorphine a viable option for others.  (Letter)

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