Congress tasks GSA with getting federal office space under control

Federal Newscast

Congress wants to get a sense of how much real estate the government owns and to help the General Services Administration manage it better.

Federal News Network Staff

May 24, 2016 10:33 am

3 min read

Congress wants to get a sense of how much real estate the government owns and to help the General Services Administration manage it better. The House unanimously passed two real estate management bills supporters said will save billions of taxpayer dollars. One bill establishes a Public Buildings Reform Board to analyze real property inventory and make recommendations for sales. The other one creates a Streamlined Leasing Pilot Program within the GSA to make the process more efficient. (House Transportation Committee)

Justice Department chief information officer Joe Klimavicz said his agency’s cyber posture is improving every day. But over the long term, there are several emerging threats that he’s worried about. Klimavicz said data poisoning is one threat vector that could impact DoJ’s mission. He said agencies need to figure out how to better protect unstructured data such as Social Security numbers manually typed into a form or system. Another challenge many agencies are facing is from insider threat, which current two-factor authentication doesn’t protect against. But the biggest challenge may be quantifying cyber risk to non-IT senior executives.

Senior executives have a new way to prepare for the upcoming presidential transition. The Senior Executives Association offers three more online webinars to help SES members learn what they can to prepare their agencies for the change in administration. Webinars will run in July, October and December. SEA will post the slides and materials online after each course. (SEA)

The Defense Department Inspector General plans to audit contract awards made by the Defense Information Systems Agency. The audit will look at whether DISA’s contracts comply with the rules. DISA recently said it’s moving away from buying products in favor of services, such as those available under its ENCORE III multiple award contract. (DoD OIG)

The Broadcasting Board of Governors may no longer be a board soon. The House passed an amendment in the 2017 Defense Authorization Act which calls for eliminating the board and giving all of its authorities to a new CEO position. BBG Watch reports it also calls for a non-profit organization to carry out the mssion of the Voice of America. The amendment now goes to the Senate. (Broadcasting Board of Governors)

The Transportation Security Administration rolls a head in response to complaints about long lines. TSA chief Peter Neffenger fired Kelly Hoggan, the assistant administrator for security operations since 2013. Hoggan has been named by whistleblowers for retaliating against them with forced reassignments. He also was fingered by the DHS inspector general when auditors snuck guns through checkpoints. Congress is angry over Hoggan’s $90,000 in bonuses. Darby LaJoye becomes Acting Security Operations chief. (Federal News Radio)

The Thrift Savings Plan promises better customer service. Its Project ExPRESS will consist of updated communication technology and expanded call center hours. The idea is for more self-service and less paper. The TSP has issued a draft request for proposals to build the new system. It plans a final RFP by the fourth quarter. (Federal News Radio)

Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald said the VA is starting to come up with new standards for measuring veterans’ satisfaction with their health care. McDonald said the standards wouldn’t measure how long a veteran waits for an appointment, but how happy the veteran is with the care. He said it’s like what companies like Disney use to measure customer satisfaction. McDonald’s comment has sparked criticism from several members of Congress, including both chairmen of the House and Senate VA committees. (Federal News Radio)