Budget
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When Congress returns on Dec. 1, it will be pressed for time on deciding its next course on funding before the current continuing resolution expires at midnight on Dec. 12.
November 28, 2014 -
In a new report on reducing the federal deficit, the Congressional Budget Office suggests that cutting 70,000 government jobs over the next decade and changing the math used for civilian and military pensions could save $100 billion.
November 26, 2014 -
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's decision to resign Monday has produced plenty of speculation about his successor. Military experts retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro and Jim Thomas of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments said the new DoD secretary will likely lobby Congress for more money to deal with new threats.
November 26, 2014 -
Congressional leaders insist they can get an omnibus spending bill done to fund your agency for the rest of the fiscal year before the current continuing resolution runs out Dec. 11. But a cromnibus -- a combination omnibus and CR -- may be a lot more likely. That's the bad news. The good news is a bill like that might mean minimal impact on your pay and benefits. Katie Maddocks is governmental affairs representative for the Federal Managers Association. On In Depth with Francis Rose, she said a cromnibus, or even a plain old CR, isn't the worst that could happen.
November 25, 2014 -
The continuing resolution funding your agency expires in 16 days, on Dec. 11. The possibilities for what happens after that ranges from another CR, to a full government shutdown, or even to Congress passing an omnibus bill. Jessica Klement is legislative director of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association. On In Depth with Francis Rose, she offered predictions on what might happen over the next few weeks.
November 25, 2014 -
Incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promises to avoid another government shutdown. Lawmakers have until mid-December to turn that promise into reality. Or not. It's a good idea to be prepared. The Government Accountability Office reviewed how agencies handled last year's lapse in appropriations. Yvonne Jones, the agency's director of Strategic Issues, explained the findings on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
November 24, 2014 -
Everyone with a stake in the federal budget is looking toward Dec. 11. That's when the continuing resolution runs out, and Congress will have to decide what to do next. Beyond that, federal agencies are looking at two long years of a Republican Congress and Democratic White House. Will it be the immoveable rock facing the irresistible force? Or can good things still happen? Don Kettl, professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and long-time watcher of all things federal, offered some insight on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin.
November 24, 2014 -
Many members of the Marine Corps who currently have access to a government-issued BlackBerry had better start weaning themselves off as the Pentagon pushes a bring-your-own-device approach.
November 24, 2014 -
Two early pilot programs have shown the Pentagon that it can reduce overhead spending by carefully studying its excess costs rather than cutting each office's budget by an arbitrary figure. Once expanded across DoD's support agencies, the savings could run into the billions.
November 21, 2014 -
The Defense Department already had telegraphed that it would request more money than sequestration allows for in 2016. But the military's top officer said Wednesday that new missions involving Ebola, the Islamic State and Russia likely will push DoD's funding request even higher.
November 20, 2014 -
The Navy secretary has spent more than a full year of his five-year tenure on overseas travel, racking up more than 930,000 miles on trips that cost taxpayers more than $4.7 million.
November 18, 2014 -
Budget pressures on the Defense Department have driven down spending on research and development. That gives the military less say in developments that might give battlefield superiority. But industry can help with a class of products known as non-developmental items. Retired Maj. Gen. Dennis Moran, now with Harris Corporation, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with details.
November 18, 2014 -
A new report from the Government Accountability Office says that some agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Transportation and Health and Human Services, experienced stalled grants and contract activity during the government shutdown of 2013.
November 17, 2014 -
The USPS' ability to carry our its duties and remain financially self-sustaining continues to be at risk, according to a recently released GAO performance audit. Conducted over the past year, GAO's report found that the agency is projecting "unsustainable" losses through 2020.
November 14, 2014 -
In its new report, the Government Accountability Office found that agency managers aren't using performance data to objectively determine the success of programs before making changes to their policies or budget.
November 14, 2014