Congress
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David Snell, NARFE's director of retirement services, will answer you retirement questions, and Federal Times Senior Writer Andy Medici will give us an update on the latest news on Capitol Hill. March 25, 2015
March 25, 2015 -
The House and Senate Budget Committees are working through plans today that would add funds to the Overseas Contingency Operations budget. But the White House has already said President Barack Obama won't sign a budget with a huge increase in OCO funding. Long-term financial planning for the military is one aspect of a long-term strategy detailed in a new work called "Avoiding Trivia: A Strategy for Sustainment and Fiscal Security." Retired Navy Capt. Jerry Hendrix is the author and senior fellow and director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security. On In Depth with Francis Rose, Jerry explained where the term "avoiding trivia" comes from and how it applies to military strategy.
March 25, 2015 -
By PHILIP ELLIOTT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Promising to abolish the Internal Revenue Service is a good talking point for political candidates who are looking to fire up the Republicans’ most conservative voters. It’s…
March 25, 2015 -
Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the acquisition proposals he will release on Wednesday are merely a discussion draft and he's actively seeking more input. Initial language would boost program managers' roles in the system and shave reporting requirements.
March 24, 2015 -
The Democrats' plan, introduced by House Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen, would further change the Budget Control Act to allow agencies more financial flexibility. Unlike the Republican plan to restore normalized funding to the Defense Department while continuing to scale back domestic programs, the Democrats want to restore funding for both defense and non-defense agencies.
March 23, 2015 -
A fake building is in the spotlight as a possible measure of how the Administration's budget request is going. The reception to the request could indicate how much Republicans want to cooperate with the White House. David Hawkings, senior editor at Roll Call and author of the Hawkings Here blog, writes a column Monday titled, "Why the GOP Will Likely Attack the Potemkin White House." On In Depth with Francis Rose, David revealed the fake building and why you should pay attention to it.
March 23, 2015 -
Lawmakers say the Secret Service won't let them hear from four employees who witnessed an episode outside the White House in which two high-ranking agency officials are accused of driving into a secure area without authorization.
March 23, 2015 -
Reverse auctions are overused, underregulated and might be a monopoly, according to recent testimony on Capitol Hill.
March 20, 2015 -
A new bill from the House Small Business Committee chairman would require SBA to develop a new methodology to measure how effective agencies are in ensuring small firms receive prime and subcontracts awards.
March 20, 2015 -
Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C) proposed a bill that would cut federal employee pay by 8.7 percent if the employee makes over $100,000 a year. Uniformed military personnel are exempt. In our Congressional Spotlight, Rice tells In Depth with Francis Rose why he chose the percentage cut he chose and why he wants to cut federal pay in the first place.
March 20, 2015 -
Republican lawmakers released their Fiscal Year 2016 budget plans this week, containing increased spending for the Pentagon, cuts for non-Defense operating budgets and a hike in federal employees' contributions to their retirement plans.
March 20, 2015 -
House lawmakers and Veterans Affairs' IT officials continue to spar over the data security of millions of veterans. In the latest episode, VA Committee lawmakers say the agency suffered another nation state cyber attack. But IT officials say they have seen no evidence of such an attack. Federal News Radio's Executive editor Jason Miller joined the Federal Drive with Tom Temin with details on this ongoing cybersecurity drama.
March 20, 2015 -
Pentagon officials are adamant that sequestration-level spending is incompatible with the current Defense strategy. But, they also have serious concerns with the plan House Republicans released this week to boost Defense funding, saying it would limit their options and keep the military in a state of budget uncertainty.
March 20, 2015 -
By DAVID ESPO and ANDREW TAYLOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans in Congress advanced balanced-budget plans bristling with cuts in Medicaid and other benefit programs Thursday, determined to make a down payment on last…
March 20, 2015 -
Funny is a relative thing, especially when it comes to members of Congress cutting federal pay, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey. It's hard sometimes to see the humor in that.
March 20, 2015