Budget

• With money in the bank, Patent and Trademark Office sets long-term agenda

  The Patent and Trademark Office can plot a long-term strategy for the first time, thanks to newfound financial security, said Deputy Director Michelle Lee. Her top priority: improving patent quality.

  Budget

  January 22, 2015
• IRS’ tale grows legs

  The mainstream media has finally caught up to what Senior Correspondent Mike Causey has been reporting on for months: that budget and staff cuts at the IRS are negatively impacting the tax agency's ability to do its job.

  Mike Causey

  January 22, 2015
• OMB gives agencies deadline to set up digital services teams

  The Office of Management and Budget is instructing agencies to set up their own digital services group modeled after those at the General Services Administration under 18F and the Veterans Affairs Department.

  Budget

  January 19, 2015
• Air Force to ask for base closures, aircraft retirements despite repeated rebuffs

  As is typical, Defense leaders are not sharing many details about next year's budget proposal prior to its expected February release. But the Air Force is making clear it's gearing up for another fight on BRAC and aircraft divestitures, and thinks it might win this time.

  Budget

  January 19, 2015
• House votes to undo Obama immigration actions

  By ERICA WERNER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Shunning a White House veto threat and opposition within their own party, House Republicans approved legislation Wednesday to overturn President Barack Obama’s key immigration policies and expose…

  Budget

  January 15, 2015
• Koskinen: Furloughs possible for IRS employees

  Employees at the Internal Revenue Service may face two days of furloughs before the end of the fiscal year. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen detailed stark budget realities in an agency-wide e-mail to employees.

  Budget

  January 14, 2015
• Brenna Isman, National Academy of Public Administration

  The 2015 budget came with more than money for federal agencies. You got some homework, too. Namely 15 Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goals important to the White House. They cover everything from cybersecurity to climate change. Brenna Isman is a project director at the National Academy of Public Administration. She joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss some of the CAP goals agencies will be working toward over the next year or so.

  Federal Drive

  January 12, 2015
• Acquisition reform

  Today's FEDtalk will feature a roundtable discussion of one of this year's hottest topics - acquisition reform. January 9, 2015

  FEDtalk

  January 09, 2015
• Don’t blame the IRS for reduced services this year, says NTEU president

  Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, says with fewer employees to answer phones at the IRS, she understands taxpayers' frustrations about filing questions going unanswered, but adds that the agency isn't any happier with its marching orders from Congress and the White House.

  Mike Causey

  January 09, 2015
• Robert MacLean, Chief, U.S. Park Police

  After more than two decades of service and a year acting in the role, our next guest is leading the National Park Police as its new chief. With an operating budget of more than $100 million and a workforce that exceeds 700 employees, the Park Service maintains jurisdiction in Washington, D.C., New York and San Francisco. Chief Robert MacLean joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to outline his vision for the agency,

  Federal Drive

  January 09, 2015
• Digging through the new bills: Across-the-board cuts and more

  We've gone through the first 400 bills in the new Congress to pull out those you'll want to watch, from a measure to kick political appointees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan to three that embrace across-the-board spending cuts.

  Budget

  January 08, 2015
• Jim Carafano, Heritage Foundation

  The budget will be one of the first things the new Congress takes up, according to leadership on both sides of Capitol Hill. The Defense Department is already starting its push to end -- or at least cut back on -- sequestration. James Jay Carafano is director of the Davis Institute for International Studies at the Heritage Foundation. He shared his Top 3 for 2015 on In Depth with Francis Rose. He says he thinks Congress will do a real defense budget in 2015, but that doesn't mean sequestration will go away.

  All News

  January 06, 2015
• Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, President, Military Officers Association of America

  Troops start the new year with a 1 percent pay raise. That's a little less than the 1.8 percent raise they would have gotten automatically from the annual cost of living adjustment. A study on pay and benefits from the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission is due next month. Vice Adm. Norb Ryan is president of the Military Officers Association of America. He says some kind of reform is long overdue. He shared his Top 3 for 2015 on In Depth with Francis Rose. He says morale is still a top priority for the military, even with fewer commitments in Afghanistan.

  All News

  January 06, 2015
• A look back at 2014 & a look ahead to 2015

  Larry Allen, president of Allen Federal Business Partners, and Bob Lohfeld, CEO of Lohfeld Consulting Group, join host Mark Amtower to talk about the top contracting stories in 2014, and what's ahead in 2015. January 5, 2015

  Amtower Off-Center

  January 05, 2015