Monday federal headlines – March 28, 2016

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive.

• A Massachusetts lawmaker is seeking support for a bill that would bring faster medical care to veterans. Rep. Seth Moulton’s (D-Mass.) Faster Care for Veterans Act would create a
  system in which the Veterans Affairs Department would use commercial software for veterans to self-schedule appointments. Veterans groups said they support the bill’s  goal, but they
  worry about relying too much on outside services. (Rep. Seth Moulton)

• The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the U.S. may need to send more troops to Iraq in order to step up operations against the Islamic State.  Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford told reporters the Defense Department plans to present recommendations to the President in the coming weeks. Both Dunford and Defense Secretary Ash Carter believe there will be an increase in U.S. forces in the region. (Defense Department)

• The State Department proposed a rule to simplify contract termination. The proposed amendment to the Department of State Acquisition Regulation would provide procedural changes relating to suspension and debarment. One change would allow use of a single fact-finding official rather than the entire panel. (Federal Register)

• The Defense Department is seeing a slight increase in net cost estimates for its major acquisition programs. For December 2015, reporting estimates rose about $7 million for 79
  programs. Some increases came from the Ballistic Missile Defense System, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle and the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. DoD attributed the rise to increased quantities, engineering changes and schedule delays. (Defense Department)

• A high-ranking Navy officer was sentenced for influencing travel plans at the benefit of ship support contractor Glenn Defense Marine Asia. Navy Capt. Daniel Dusek was sentenced to 46 months in prison and $105,000 in penalties. The Justice Department said Dusek revealed ship schedules to GDMA in exchange for prostitutes, vacations and gifts. (Justice Department)

• The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service could lose their law enforcement units if a new House bill passes. It would require secretaries at the Agriculture and Interior departments to give grants to state law enforcement to police federal land instead. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and three other Utah Republicans introduced the bill. It now sits in the House Agriculture Committee. (Rep. Jason Chaffetz)

• A Pentagon-imposed hiring freeze is aimed at leaner management, rather than permanent staff reductions. Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said the new civilian hiring ban is temporary. Once agencies under the Office of the Secretary of Defense complete an order from last summer, they’ll be free to hire again. That order makes them de-layer rationalize management staff and flatten out. But agencies appear slow in delivering detailed de-layering plans. Work thinks the freeze will get their attention. (Federal News Radio)

• One safety regulator needs a new system in order to improve mission delivery. It’s the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is struggling to manage oversight of car safety defects. The Government Accountability Office said NITSA needs to build its planned new IT system called the Corporate Information Factory. The agency said the data mining facility would help it track all of the defects. Congress has been reluctant to fund the factory, citing weak management at NITSA.

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