Budget
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The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board — which manages federal employees' Thrift Savings Plan accounts — approved a 19 percent budget increase for the coming year, allowing it to fund new cybersecurity and hiring initiatives. The $170.5 million budget, which is more than $27 million above 2012 levels, was agreed to following a "rigorous review," the board's director of external affairs, Kim Weaver, told In Depth with Francis Rose.
September 25, 2012 -
Six senators sent a letter to their Senate leaders asking for a bipartisan effort to end the threat of automatic, across-the-board budget cuts due to take effect in January.
September 25, 2012 -
The agency has chosen to let some acquisition schedules slip, as a solution to constrained budgets. By doing so, CBP increases the likelihood of successful acquisition projects, said an agency executive.
September 24, 2012 -
The agency is changing its approach to the Einstein tool to keep up with the changing technology. Mark Weatherford, under secretary for cybersecurity, said on Agency of the Month that DHS is helping agencies be more proactive in defending their networks. He isn't worried about the turnover in his office.
September 24, 2012 -
Robert Hale, the military's CFO, said reductions in force would cost more money than the Defense Department would save. But hiring a freeze and involuntary unpaid furloughs would be likely for civilians.
September 21, 2012 -
On this week's Bloomberg Government Capital Impact, analysts discuss OMB's sequestration report and how highway funding is affected. Plus, how much money are Super-Pacs spending on this year's presidential election. September 20, 2012
September 20, 2012 -
The across-the-board budget cuts, known as sequestration, set to take effect Jan. 2 would be "deeply destructive" to national security and core civilian agency programs, according to a comprehensive report from the White House detailing the impact of the cuts on specific programs and accounts. The $109 billion in cuts coming next year — split evenly between Defense civilian agency budgets — would slash Defense discretionary spending by 9.4 percent and civilian agency spending by 8.2 percent.
September 14, 2012 -
The six-month stopgap spending bill unveiled by the House Appropriations Committee this week officially continues the federal pay freeze until at least March. The continuing resolution, which runs through March 27, gives lawmakers more time to make appropriations for the coming year and staves off the threat of a government shutdown. When a broad CR was first announced last month, the full Congress had not yet approved any fiscal 2013 spending bills. President Barack Obama proposed last month a 0.5 percent pay raise that would only take effect once Congress passed a 2013 budget — a de facto extension of the current two-year freeze. The CR makes the extension official.
September 11, 2012 -
Lawmakers returned to Washington, D.C., this week with a packed agenda. Topping the list of priorities is hammering out final details of a stopgap spending measure to keep the government running beyond the end of the fiscal year -- Sept. 30. Amid the election-year politicking, the list of unfinished business also includes legislation to restructure the financially ailing U.S. Postal Service and a cybersecurity bill that aims to safeguard the nation's critical infrastructure. Perhaps looming largest of all is what Congress plans to do about automatic, across-the-board cuts, known as sequestration, set to take effect Jan. 2. Failure to avert the cuts could send the country over a "fiscal cliff," budget experts warn.
September 10, 2012 -
The President's Management Advisory Board wants agencies to focus on reducing improper payments and making strategic sourcing mandatory.
September 10, 2012 -
The White House plans to deliver a report to Congress late next week detailing how automatic, across-the-board cuts, set to take effect in January, will affect specific programs. The report is required under the Sequestration Transparency Act, which Congress overwhelmingly passed this summer and which the President signed on Aug. 7. The law directed the President to issue the detailed report within 30 days of signing it - a deadline that came this week and went unmet.
September 07, 2012 -
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley took over as Chief of the Army Reserve in June. He tells Federal News Radio there are only two issues that keep him up at night.
September 07, 2012 -
If Uncle Sam really drives off the sequestration cliff in January, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: Do you have a job parachute?
September 07, 2012 -
Federal News Radio's Jason Miller will talk about a recent confrontation between a GSA official and an agent in the Inspector General's office. Steve Losey and Andy Medici from the Federal Times will discuss the pay debate and other issues affecing federal workers. September 5, 2012
September 05, 2012 -
Acting Director Jeff Zients wrote in a blog post today that agencies have met half of President Obama's goal to save $8 billion by the end of 2013.
September 04, 2012