Congress
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Members of Congress are returning to Capitol Hill with a full plate of issues to resolve, namely a Continuing Resolution to fend off a potential government shutdown. Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says they better hop to before they head out on the campaign trail.
August 27, 2014 -
Wikipedia, for all its faults, is supposed to give fair and unbiased information. Only objective experts are supposed to have access to its articles for editing. So, why would someone want congressional staff members to come anywhere near Wikipedia? Cato Institute Senior Fellow Jim Harper joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive with a list of good reasons.
August 21, 2014 -
FederalNewsRadio.com writer/editor Shefali Kapadia joins host Mike Causey to talk about phased retirement, and Jenny Mattingley, director of Government Affairs at the law firm Shaw, Bransford & Roth will discuss the upcoming federal pay raise and the possibility of a government shutdown. August 13, 2014
August 13, 2014 -
Jon Etherton, president of Etherton and Associates, Inc., will give us an update on the procurement issues being discussed on Capitol Hill. August 12, 2014
August 12, 2014 -
Congress is in recess, which means your pay and benefits won't change -- at least for the next month. But budget conversations in September (when Congress comes back) may mean you should keep your ears open again. Congressman Chris Van Hollen is ranking member of the House Budget Committee and Democratic representative of the 8th district of Maryland. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he said the most important issue you should watch is money (of course!).
August 12, 2014 -
President Obama has signed a big Veterans Affairs Department reform bill into law. No group will be watching what happens next more than the nation's military veterans. Dan Dellinger is national commander of the American Legion. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss what they're looking for when it comes to the new law.
August 08, 2014 -
It looks like congressional reform of how agencies buy technology won't happen. Industry experts hold little hope that any of the multiple bills attempting to fix long-standing problems with IT acquisition will pass before the end of the year. Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive with details on why all the pessimism. Read Jason's related article.
August 07, 2014 -
IT Alliance for Public Sector experts say there are two major reasons for their fleeting hope—one is the little time lawmakers have in Washington over the next four months; and second is the continued impasse among the Senate and House over the role of agency CIOs. ITAPS says a two-and-a-half month continuing resolution is likely and an omnibus spending bill for 2015 is gaining support.
August 07, 2014 -
In a letter to the leaders of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, IGs from large and small agencies say constraints placed upon auditors from EPA, DoJ and Peace Corps represent a serious challenge to the authority of every IG.
August 06, 2014 -
Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, sent a letter to Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Carl Levin (D-Mich.) back in June detailing how Congress can help DoD improve its acquisition outcomes. The list includes stopping sequestration, continued support of workforce training and simplifying rules and regulations.
August 06, 2014 -
Comedian Steve Martin has some useful words of advice -- two of them, actually -- for tax deadbeats on Capitol Hill, says Senior Correspondent Mike Causey.
August 04, 2014 -
Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.) introduced a bill Thursday that would reduce the amount new federal employees must pay toward their government pensions. The National Treasury Employees Union and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association support the legislation, which would repeal the last two increases in retirement contributions.
August 01, 2014 -
Consider yourself on holiday, of sorts, for the next five weeks. Even if you've had your vacation or can't afford one the time between now and Labor Day should be more relaxed because Congress is gone. And that's good news for most feds.
August 01, 2014 -
Carolyn Watts Colvin, the nominee to be Social Security Administration commissioner, vowed to Senate lawmakers to soothe turbulent relations between the agency and its labor unions. Colvin also said she plans to tackle troubled IT systems that still run COBOL.
August 01, 2014 -
A partially trained workforce working within a nearly impossible system is not a recipe for success. But that's how things are when it comes to federal acquisition, according to the Professional Services Council. The industry group has sent Congress a long list of recommendations to make procurement faster and more competitive. Council President Stan Soloway joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss how the study got started.
July 29, 2014