John McCain
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When it comes to lowest price, technically acceptable policies, the Defense Department wants more than "acceptable" for its acquisition services. Even with looming sequestration forcing DoD to stretch financially, Frank Kendall, undersecretary of Defense acquisition, technology and logistics, said the department must incentivize contractors to provide better value as well as best prices.
August 06, 2014 -
A new bipartisan report from the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations called the Air Force's now-canceled Expeditionary Combat Support System "one of the most egregious examples of mismanagement by the DoD in recent memory." But the failure of ECSS may not be an aberration, the report suggested. Other enterprise-resource planning programs in the department are at risk of falling victim to the same fate.
July 09, 2014 -
Federal officials say they need help from Congress to ensure companies are protected under the law for sharing cyber information with the government. Officials also say building up the cyber workforce is a top concern.
March 27, 2014 -
Just a day after Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel proposed reductions in military end-strength and shrinking compensation costs as part of next year's budget plan, a slate of nominees to lead key offices at the Pentagon faced congressional scrutiny.
February 25, 2014 -
Jamie Morin, the outgoing comptroller and President Barack Obama's nominee to be DoD's second director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office, told lawmakers Thursday that the Air Force would struggle to meet the 2014 financial management deadline. Jo Ann Rooney, the nominee to be undersecretary of the Navy, said furloughs from sequestration and the government shutdown have delayed progress on several programs.
October 10, 2013 -
DoD said it is tightening-up governance over its large business IT systems, looking for indicators of future failure and forcing resource sponsors to justify their needs before projects begin. Elizabeth McGrath, DoD's deputy chief management officer, told House lawmakers the Pentagon is working on data quality and changing business processes to avoid previous problems.
March 15, 2013 -
The movie "Zero Dark Thirty" suggests the CIA's harsh interrogation techniques led the U.S. to Osama bin Laden. Sen. John McCain watched the movie Monday night and says it left him sick - because it's wrong.
December 19, 2012 -
The Senate approved a $631 billion annual defense policy Tuesday that would require the Defense Department to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 percent over the next five years and impose a strict cap on government-funded contractor salaries. With the White House threatening to veto the Senate version its current form, the bill now heads to a House-Senate conference committee where differences between the two chambers' bill will be hammered out.
December 05, 2012 -
The Senate moved forward with a plan to require the Defense Department to reduce its civilian workforce by 5 percent over the next five years, after a measure striking that provision was defeated in a vote Friday. Earlier this week, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) introduced an amendment to the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which would lift a mandated 5 percent reduction to DoD's civilian and contractor workforces over five years. But in a 53-41 vote, Cardin's amendment was defeated.
November 30, 2012 -
The White House is threatening to veto the $631 billion annual Defense bill the Senate is debating this week unless Congress makes changes. The administration took issue with a number of provisions included in the 2013 National Defense Authorization Bill, which Senate leaders hope to vote on by the end of the week.
November 29, 2012 -
Senators attempt to head off provision in annual Defense bill that would require reductions among Pentagon civilians.
November 28, 2012 -
The Republican leader said today on the Senate floor that after the debates over the DoD and Intelligence authorization bills, lawmakers could address concerns about the Cybersecurity Act of 2012.
November 15, 2012 -
The election Tuesday could bring with it a number of changes to the makeup and leadership of key congressional committees with oversight of the federal workforce and management. The changes to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and others are expected from retirements, committee term limits and a few close races.
November 05, 2012 -
On this week's Bloomberg Government Capital Impact show, analysts will examine the challenges facing the swing state of Virginia. Plus, what does Arizona Senator John McCain think about the U.S. tax code and other financial issues. October 11, 2012
October 11, 2012 -
Defense industry executives criticize the impending sequestration, which they say would lead to the loss of more than 1 million defense-related jobs.
September 11, 2012