Senator says staffers investigating agencies may need extra protections

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

In today’s Top Federal Headlines, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) says when doing investigative work, congressional staff may be susceptible to intimidation by law enforcement agencies.

• Members of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism are considering extra protections for congressional staffers from retaliatory criminal charges. Ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) held a hearing debating the topic. He said Senate Intelligence Committee staff may have experienced intimidation after investigating the CIA’s interrogation program two years ago. (Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse)

• Deltek, the federal market research and software firm for government contractors, has got a new owner. Roper Technologies is buying Deltek for $2.8 billion. The deal is expected to close in December. Deltek president and CEO Mike Corkery said the firm’s name, brand, office locations, strategy and global team will not change as a result of this acquisition. Since 2012, private equity firm Thoma Bravo has owned Deltek. It bought the company for $1.1 billion. Four years later, Thoma Bravo is making a $1.7 billion profit on its purchasing price. (Roper Technologies)

• The General Services Administration is trying to make it easier for agencies to buy data security and electronic signature software. GSA inked an enterprisewide software deal with Adobe. GSA said it expects the enterprisewide contract to save the government as much as $350 million through tiered discounts and the reduction of duplicative contracts. (General Services Administration)

• Half of all agencies received good news on IT report card day. Six agencies, GSA, EPA, VA, Commerce, Interior and Social Security, earned B-plus grades in the latest Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act or FITARA report card. In all, 12 cabinet agencies saw their grades go up in this latest grading period. Only one agency, the Transportation Department, saw its grade drop from a D to an F-plus. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee lawmakers released the third FITARA report card yesterday. Of the four areas agencies received grades for, the consolidation of data centers received the highest number of As. Agencies continue to struggle with incremental development as nine received F grades. (Federal News Radio)

• IRS Commissioner John Koskinen will not face an impeachment floor vote… for now. The House voted to send a Republican resolution, calling for Koskinen’s impeachment, to the House Judiciary committee. House Democrats maintain the charges are baseless. Koskinen’s term ends November 2017. (Federal News Radio)

• With less than six weeks to go, President Barack Obama has proceeded with nominations. Most of the appointments are to commissions, battle monuments, historical publications, and the Holocaust Memorial. But one is to an executive position at Veterans Affairs. Obama nominated Tom Murphy as under secretary for benefits. He’s now the principal deputy, and earlier was director of VA’s compensation service. He joined in 2009 from industry. Murphy had several jobs in the Defense Department during the Clinton administration.

• The leaders of the congressional Armed Services Committees are defending their oversight in light of recent reports that the Defense Department missed out on saving $125 billion. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said they worked hard to reduce waste in DoD and will continue to do so in the future. (Sen. John McCain)

• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) said Democrats will oppose any plan to fast-track the nomination of retired Gen. James Mattis as part of the spending bill Congress is voting on this week. Republican leaders are considering adding language to the stopgap continuing resolution to keep the government funded through early next year, that would set up expedited procedures for a waiver that would let Mattis become defense secretary. He would need such a waiver to get around existing laws requiring military officers to be retired for seven years before taking the secretary’s job. Pelosi said dealing with that issue as part of the CR would set a terrible precedent, and any waiver needs to be debated in a stand-alone bill. (Federal News Radio)

• The House easily passed a series of bills that make small tweaks to veterans healthcare and benefits. However, they do not address several controversial and important issues that VA Secretary Bob McDonald wanted. A fix to the veterans appeals process, a solution to the Choice Program and new accountability procedures for VA employees, will have to wait until next Congress and administration. The current Choice Program expires this summer without congressional action. (Federal News Radio)

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