Congress

• Abolish the IRS? Easy to say, but awfully hard to do

  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…

  Congress

  March 25, 2015
• Thornberry’s first bite at DoD reform seeks to boost acquisition workforce, cut its paperwork

  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.

  Congress

  March 24, 2015
• House Democrats release alternative budget plan

  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.

  Budget

  March 23, 2015
• David Hawkings, Senior Editor, Roll Call

  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.

  All News

  March 23, 2015
• Congress seeking answers in Secret Service incident

  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.

  Congress

  March 23, 2015
• Reverse auctions draw strong criticism on Capitol Hill

  Reverse auctions are overused, underregulated and might be a monopoly, according to recent testimony on Capitol Hill.

  Congress

  March 20, 2015
• Rep. Chabot takes new approach to increasing small business contracting

  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.

  Congress

  March 20, 2015
• Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.)

  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.

  All News

  March 20, 2015
• GOP budget bills aim to bolster DoD funding, cut government waste

  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.

  Budget

  March 20, 2015
• Jason Miller, Executive Editor, Federal News Radio

  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.

  Federal Drive

  March 20, 2015
• Military leaders express misgivings about House plan to boost their budget

  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.

  Budget

  March 20, 2015
• House, Senate panels adopt balanced-budget plans

  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…

  Budget

  March 20, 2015
• Pay cut: That ain’t funny

  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.

  Mike Causey

  March 20, 2015
• Bill would mean 5 years without a bonus for delinquent feds

  Three senators introduced a bill targeting federal employees who have engaged in misconduct, are not in good standing with their agency or have violated the law.

  Congress

  March 19, 2015