Budget

  • Two high-ranking senators requested information about conference travel and spending in all GSA regions in a detailed letter on Friday.

    May 18, 2012
  • The nearly bankrupt U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to close and consolidate 229 mail-processing facilities. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe (pictured) said the postal service can no longer wait for Congress to decide how to cut postal costs, and the processing network had simply become too big and too costly. The consolidations are expected to reduce the USPS workforce size by 28,000 employees.

    May 17, 2012
  • On this week's Capital Impact show, BGOV economic analysts Nela Richardson and Christopher Payne examine JP Morgan's unexpected $2 billion derivatives loss. Plus, BGOV Defense Analyst Robert Levinson and Congressional Analyst Loren Duggan outline the FY2013 Defense Authorization bill.

    May 17, 2012
  • The Public Buildings Service Western Regions conference scandal is reverberating across government. A new Federal News Radio online survey found other agencies are feeling the effects of GSA's problems. More than half of all respondents said their agency canceled conferences or meetings.

    May 17, 2012
  • Host Mike Causey will talk postal reform and other issues with Sally Davidow of the American Postal Workers Union, and Steve Watkins and Sean Reilly of the Federal Times. May 16, 2012

    May 16, 2012
  • Congressman Mick Mulvaney and Coalition for Government Procurement Chairman Bill Gormley will talk the challenges that small businesses face when trying to do business with the government. May 15, 2012

    May 15, 2012
  • The Office of Management and Budget issued new guidance Friday, directing federal agencies to cut travel spending by 30 percent starting in October and prohibiting more than $500,000 to be spent on conferences. Acting OMB Director Jeffrey Zients called the latest move "another important step forward" in cutting inefficient federal spending.

    May 11, 2012
  • Hours after a key House committee voted to give the Pentagon more money than it asked for in next year's budget, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said thanks, but no thanks. Panetta warned passing a $3 billion increase would set a showdown with the Senate and force sequestration to happen.

    May 11, 2012
  • The House approved the first spending bill for 2013, setting operating budgets for the Commerce and Justice Departments and for science-related agencies, such as NASA.

    May 10, 2012
  • The GOP-controlled House passed legislation Thursday requiring federal workers to contribute more toward their retirement. The Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 proposed gradually increasing federal employees' pension contributions by 5 percent over five years as an alternative to sequestration.

    May 10, 2012
  • Budget analyst Steve Bell says there is "no chance" Congress will be able to pass a plan to avoid sequestration — the automatic, across-the-board cuts that would go into effect Jan. 2, 2013, as part of last summer's deficit deal.

    May 10, 2012
  • The White House has declared the Department of Veterans Affairs off-limits to "sequestration" budget cuts, and that means other nondefense agencies may have to bear an additional $4.6 billion in reductions next year.

    May 10, 2012
  • On this week's show, host Allen Scott examines efforts to cut health care costs and their potential implications for businesses and federal and state budgets. Guests include Health Care Analysts Christopher Flavelle and Brian Rye, and Congressional Analyst Loren Duggan.

    May 10, 2012
  • Host Mike Causey is joined by Federal Times Senior Writer Stephen Losey and Paul Forte and Mary Lou McGuiness with Long Term Care Partners. May 9, 2012

    May 09, 2012