Congress

  • Erik Wasson, a staff writer with The Hill newspaper, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris to discuss 2012 agency budgets and the deficit-reducing supercommittee.

    September 28, 2011
  • The Postal Service would get seven more weeks to pay a $5.5 billion debt to the Treasury under the continuing resolution passed Monday by the Senate. A House version includes the same provision. The bill is due on Friday.

    September 27, 2011
  • There will not be a government shutdown over the 2011 budget any time soon, but the near shutdown was a fight almost every inch of the way. But some feds are taking a more optimistic view.

    September 27, 2011
  • Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown for now. But chances are we will be back to this same place next month, as the continuing resolution passed by Senate on Monday night lasts through Nov. 18. If a shutdown does occur, what should a government contractor do?

    September 27, 2011
  • The Senate passed a continuing resolution to extend spending six weeks beyond the current fiscal year, ending on Friday. The House plans to vote Monday on the bill which funds government until Nov. 18. But on Nov. 23 is another important budget date — the joint select committee on deficit reduction must submit its recommendations to Congress on ways to reduce $1.2 trillion to $1.5 trillion in cuts over the next decade.

    September 27, 2011
  • On today\'s Federal Drive: The Senate has appeared to avert a government shutdown with the passage of a stopgap funding measure and a proposed bill would allow federal employees to donate unused sick leave to other feds.

    September 27, 2011
  • The Partnership for Public Service\'s new report warns the United States \"must not repeat the mistakes of the past\" with automatic across-the-board cuts.

    September 27, 2011
  • The Senate\'s six-week funding measures includes $2.65 billion for FEMA at the start of the fiscal year, dropping a provision for $1 billion worth of disaster aid that was the root of legislative gridlock. The House must pass a CR before Friday, when funding for the government runs out.

    September 26, 2011
  • The Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution Friday over an issue that amounts to \"tiddlywinks,\" said Steven Dennis, Senate reporter for CQ Roll Call.

    September 26, 2011
  • Stan Collender, a federal budget expert and a partner at Qorvis Communications, joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Amy Morris to discuss the twists and turns of the budget negotiations.

    September 26, 2011
  • On today\'s Federal Drive: A shutdown looms larger as the Senate prepares to debate a continuing resolution and DHS officials said they are committed to the headquarters consolidation effort underway at St. Elizabeth\'s even as funding appears uncertain.

    September 26, 2011
  • Time for lawmakers to pass a continuing resolution is running short as the fiscal year ends Friday. The Senate rejected the House version of CR Friday, and will take up debate on its version Monday afternoon. In the meantime, cuts to GAO and the E-Government Fund are drawing ire from supporters.

    September 26, 2011
  • The bills cover national standards for security breaches involving personal data. Companies would have to take reasonable steps to secure customers\' personal information, and to tell customers if there\'s been a breach.

    September 23, 2011
  • The threat of a Oct. 1 government shutdown is closer after the Senate rejected a short-term funding bill passed in the House that would keep government funded beyond the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.

    September 23, 2011
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee has passed three cybersecurity bills, all dealing with national standards for security breaches involving personal data. But the votes followed party lines making it harder to move them to the full Senate for a vote.

    September 23, 2011