Monday Morning Federal Newsstand

Written by Ruben Gomez
Edited by Suzanne Kubota

This morning’s federal news as heard on WFED:

Congress is out of town, but from a distance they’re planning to crack down on your agency’s contracting and grant-making shops. Government Executive reports that Senate lawmakers will look into databases agencies use to track spending. In particular, they’re concerned the systems aren’t stopping companies from accepting the same awards from multiple agencies.

A missed deadline means your agency may not be saving millions of dollars on telecom services. NextGov reports that most agencies will miss the summer 2010 deadline to start using that contract. So far GSA says the government is losing out on $18-million dollars per month in savings.

Good-government groups all around Washington are calling for an improved acquisition workforce, and now contracting officers say they’ve done it. More than 4,000 respondents to a survey by the Federal Acquisition Institute said they’ve notched up their proficiency in several areas including requirements and financial management. But the survey also reveals confusion over performance-based contracts.

The Air Force takes its nuclear arsenal to new heights with a brand new shop to keep tabs on the nukes. The new Global Strike Command will be housed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This comes after a string of embarrassing debacles, including one where bombers mistakenly flew nuclear weapons hundreds of miles over the US.

Other Stories We’re Following

Gov ID card program enters new phase (FCW)

Marines and Social Nets: We Goofed (NextGov)

‘Three Amigos’ joining forces in swine flu fight

‘Dragnet’ stamp set for release (UPI)

Recession means fewer babies; US births fell 2 pct

Dogs as Smart as 2-year-old Kids (LiveScience)

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