Congress

  • President Barack Obama signed an Executive Order giving agencies the ability to recommend economic sanctions against cyber attackers and their supporters. As the President signed this latest order, Congress seems closer than ever to passing a cyber information sharing bill.

    April 02, 2015
  • Sen. Bob Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants who rose to become one of the highest-ranking Hispanic members of Congress, was charged Wednesday with accepting nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions from a longtime friend in exchange for a stream of political favors.

    April 02, 2015
  • The Veterans Affairs secretary has picked a White House veteran to be his new chief of staff, replacing Joe Riojas. Riojas has been with VA since 2009 and is leaving government.

    April 01, 2015
  • The Internal Revenue Service has frozen or severely restricted all new hiring for the past several years in response to budget cuts. But IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told senior agency officials to lift the freeze next year.

    April 01, 2015
  • Members of Congress are pursuing legislation that would make it easier to fire federal employees for misconduct or malfeasance. Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says the lawmakers are focusing on career civil servants, namely members of the Senior Executive Service.

    April 01, 2015
  • Two Georgia lawmakers have both introduced bills that would bar federal employees from conducting union work while on the clock. OPM data shows official time has been on the rise since fiscal 2008.

    March 31, 2015
  • A budget blueprint is through the Senate that has a topline similar to the White House's plan for FY 2016. But the details behind both the House and Senate plans look very different from President Barack Obama's, including major cuts to some domestic programs. David Hawkings is Senior Editor of Roll Call. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he broke down the potential for which plans might guide the future funding levels of your agency.

    March 30, 2015
  • In this week's edition of Inside the Reporter's Notebook, Executive Editor Jason Miller examines the unintended consequences of 1990s procurement reform and how OFPP plans to address them. Plus, multiple congressmen crack down on duplication issues at the Department of Homeland Security. Also in this edition, what's behind the retirement of a long-time CIO at Education and a procurement executive at Veterans Affairs?

    March 30, 2015
  • By CHARLES BABINGTON and ERICA WERNER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a pugnacious and glamour-averse tactician who united Democrats to help deliver tough victories for President Barack Obama, said Friday…

    March 28, 2015
  • In England and in some parts of this country, a "take away" is when you order a popular fast food and take it home with you. In Washington "take away" is the legislative-political equivalent of bend-over-and-smile-this-is-going-to-hurt-you-more-than-me, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey.

    March 27, 2015
  • Over the last two years, agencies have done a better job collecting information about their real property holdings. The Office of Management and Budget hopes that now can lead the government to better decision making. But Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) plans to introduce legislation to add "more teeth" to the government's property disposal process.

    March 26, 2015
  • The House Oversight Committee says yes to bills banning porn at federal agencies and making it easier for the public to request and receive government records.

    March 26, 2015
  • 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