Congress
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The Federal Protective Service will no longer coordinate security at DHS headquarters on Nebraska Avenue in Northwest D.C. according to a May 1 memo from the agency's chief security officer to the undersecretary for management. The memo was brought to light Wednesday by members of a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee at a hearing on the security of federal buildings. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management, cited the DHS memo as a possible sign that "confidence in FPS may be eroding" from within DHS.
May 21, 2014 -
Larry Zelvin, the director of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center in DHS's National Protection and Programs Directorate, is expected to tell the House Homeland Security Committee Wednesday that the implementation of the advanced intrusion detection and prevention program known as Einstein is hampered by the lack of clarity of the exact role DHS is allowed to play under the current set of cybersecurity laws.
May 21, 2014 -
A proposed amendment to the House version of the annual bill setting policy for the Defense Department would preemptively protect DoD employees paid through working-capital funds from potential furloughs. The measure was introduced Monday by Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.).
May 20, 2014 -
One day after Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee about allegations of mismanagement at some VA health facilities, Dr. Robert Petzel stepped down as VA's undersecretary for health. Earlier in the month, the White House tapped Dr. Jeffrey Murawsky to be Petzel's replacement.
May 16, 2014 -
Jennifer Mattingley, director of government affairs for Shaw, Bransford and Roth, and Andy Medici from the Federal Times will give us an update on legislation affecting federal workers. May 14, 2014
May 14, 2014 -
The second session of the 113th Congress is ticking away and the opportunities to produce meaningful legislation are sliding by. Federal employees also have to start saying goodbye to two of their more vocal advocates on Capitol Hill. Reps Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.) are planning to retire when their current terms are up. Katie Maddocks, a government affairs representative for the Federal Managers Association, talks to In Depth with Francis Rose about what congressional changes would mean for the federal workforce in the coming months.
May 13, 2014 -
The balance is off on Capitol Hill this week. The House is out of session, but the Senate is in. And both chambers are working on their strategies to get your agency's spending plan for Fiscal 2015 finished on time. David Hawkings, senior Eeitor of Roll Call, tells In Depth with Francis Rose your agency's next budget is taking baby steps not giant strides.
May 13, 2014 -
The House is close to considering a bill to drastically change the National Security Agency's surveillance programs. The bill was approved by the Judiciary and Intelligence committees last week. It would end the NSA's practice of storing telecommunications meta-data in its own data centers. For what to expect next, Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp spoke to Julian Hattem, a staff writer for The Hill newspaper.
May 13, 2014 -
Looking for action, drama and excitement in your life? Forget about Congress this year because you'll get more information and action watching "The Real Housewives of Orange County" on TV, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
May 07, 2014 -
The House Armed Services Committee releases a blueprint of the National Defense Authorization Act. The $601 billion measure hardly resembles the Pentagon's wish list. It rejects most of the department's ideas for saving money. Staff writer Martin Matishak has been following this closely for the Hill Newspaper. He provided insight for Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.
May 06, 2014 -
Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has released a $601 billion spending plan that saves the Cold War era U-2 spy plane from the chopping block and also would force the Pentagon to keep the A-10 Warthog in storage. It's all a part of a plan resulting in smaller military budgets after 13 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ironically, though, the plan also denies the Pentagon's request for another round of military base closures to get rid of unnecessary facilities and save $1.4 billion.
May 06, 2014 -
Congress is one week into its longest work session of the year. Members will be on the Hill for the next eight weeks. David Hawkings, senior editor of Roll Call, tells In Depth with Francis Rose the partisan divide may melt away in five key areas.
May 05, 2014 -
The organization says a series of whistleblowers and investigative reports show a "pattern of bureaucratic incompetence and failed leadership" among VA senior leaders. This is the first time in more than 30 years the American Legion has called for the removal of a public official.
May 05, 2014 -
"Inside the DoD's Reporter's Notebook" is biweekly feature focused on news about the Defense Department and defense community as gathered by Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu.
May 02, 2014 -
Congress is trying to be a good citizen this month. By passing the easy bills first, it hopes to get some real work done before arguing about the contentious stuff. That means it's tackling things like the construction budgets for Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department. Matt Hummer, senior transportation analyst with Bloomberg Government, told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp what's in some of the bills Congress has already passed.
May 01, 2014