Congress
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Two senators from the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee want to change Senate rules in an attempt to make sure new federal programs or initiatives in proposed legislation don't overlap with existing efforts. Earlier this month, two House members introduced a measure that would require House committees of jurisdiction to hold oversight hearings on an annual report from the Government Accountability Office detailing government duplication.
April 29, 2013 -
The House is expected to quickly pass a bill the Senate approved last night that would end furloughs for air traffic controllers. The legislation gives the Federal Aviation Administration the authority to transfer up to $253 million from accounts flush with funds into other programs. This would would help to prevent reductions in operations and staffing through the end of fiscal year 2013.
April 26, 2013 -
On this week's Capital Impact show, Bloomberg Government analysts will examine how online college courses are afffecting higher education in the U.S. April 25, 2013
April 25, 2013 -
Army leaders say the belated passage of a 2013 budget helped this year's fiscal picture, but the service still is more than $15 billion short of funds. If sequestration continues, the service will shrink by at least 100,000 soldiers.
April 24, 2013 -
A trio of lawmakers from the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee want the Government Accountability Office to examine whether the General Schedule system for federal employees needs an update. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Blake Farenthold (R-Texas), said the watchdog agency's review would aid the lawmakers in evaluating "the appropriateness of the General Schedule (GS) as a pay scale for today's workforce."
April 22, 2013 -
If Congress doesn't pass comprehensive postal reform legislation soon, it could find itself forced to bail out the financially troubled U.S. Postal Service to the tune of billions of dollars, said Postmaster General Pat Donahoe. The postmaster general said in a speech at the National Press Club he's optimistic Congress will pass postal reform legislation this year.
April 19, 2013 -
Advocacy organizations are criticizing the Pentagon's proposed fee increase for TRICARE as unfair and discriminatory.
April 19, 2013 -
On this week's Capital Impact show, Bloomberg Government analysts discuss President Obama's 2014 budget proposal, and patent litigation settlements involving pharmaceutical companies. April 18, 2013
April 18, 2013 -
Defense agencies and services are pulling back hundreds of millions of dollars worth of grants and contracts. Impending furloughs will further impair DoD's ability to get money out the door.
April 18, 2013 -
Postmaster General Pat Donahoe told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday that the Postal Service is operating under a "broken business model." But cost-saving efforts, such as ending Saturday delivery and modifying a multibillion dollar requirement to prefund future retirees health care costs, garnered little agreement among lawmakers.
April 17, 2013 -
An update to the Federal Information Security Management Act and the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013 passed through the House Tuesday night. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Protection Act also passed, but faces a veto threat because of concerns over data protection.
April 17, 2013 -
Congress approved a bill Friday to eliminate expanded financial-disclosure reporting requirements for Senior Executive Service members, just days before the new requirements were to go into effect. Both the House and Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent. The expanded reporting requirements were set to go into effect Monday.
April 12, 2013 -
The Defense Department's attitude toward the importance of auditability has undergone a marked change, but experts believe compliance with its next legal deadline will be a stretch.
April 12, 2013 -
Congressman John Mica says his top priority as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations is to cut agency waste, fraud and abuse beyond just the low hanging fruit. Mica's column is part of Federal News Radio's special report, Rise of the Money People.
April 12, 2013 -
The U.S. Postal Service has reversed its decision to end Saturday mail delivery service, saying Congress gave it no choice when it passed a 2013 appropriations bill last month that continued a ban on five-day delivery.
April 10, 2013