Budget

Congress, having gutted out the biggest stimulus bill ever, is busier than ever.

The president has signed the $2 trillion stimulus and emergency supplemental appropriations package into law. It will have implications for federal employees and their agencies, retirees and contractors.

President Donald Trump signed to supplemental spending bills into law over the last two weeks giving agencies billions of dollars in extra funding to help fight the coronavirus.

Federal agencies have requested an additional $45.8 billion in funding for 2020 alone, which the White House said is necessary for its governmentwide response to the coronavirus. Extra telework support is at the top of the list.

It’s not easy accounting for each of the $5.1 trillion it takes to operate the government every year. But someones got to do it.

How do you measure the value of spending on prevention? That’s a recurring challenge for federal agencies sensitive to the dangers of cybersecurity breaches.

Unstoppable budget trends are, more and more, starving the government of the funds it needs to invest in itself. An IBM study examined if private capital could be the solution.

Washington Technology Editor in Chief Nick Wakeman joined host Mark Amtower on this week’s Amtower Off Center, for a wide-ranging discussion of the mergers and acquisition climate, the popularity of “best in class” contracts, and the budget outlook for the rest of this year.

The pilot programs follow a Defense Innovation Board study that found the Pentagon’s current spending restrictions routinely “doom” software development efforts.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told members at a hearing Tuesday that continued investment in the IRS’ IT modernization remains critical to “bring the IRS into the modern world.”

The Democratic presidential primaries are great drama this year and the coronavirus scare is super important. That said, until a lot more is known, life goes on.

In today’s Federal Newscast, Elaine McCusker is no longer the White House’s choice for Defense Department Comptroller.

Defense leaders were on Capitol Hill to defend their 2021 budget proposal on Wednesday, but were peppered with criticism about the administration’s decision to move 2020 funds to build the president’s border wall without lawmakers’ consent.

The White House’s proposal would eliminate a long-time benefit which provides “gap” payments to employees, like federal firefighters, forced to retire as early as age 57.