Rob Portman

• Feasibility of DATA Act questioned even as Senate committee OKs it

  Some agency leaders who would be charged with implementing the bill are unsure the DATA Act can be brought to life successfully. Officials said the government can improve how it makes data accessible and publishes procurement and other spending information. But the DATA Act may be asking for things that aren't pragmatically possible.

  Congress

  November 07, 2013
• Security clearance process ready for, in need of its next makeover

  OMB is set to begin next week a 120-day review of three broad areas around security clearances. DoD and ODNI are pursuing initiatives to create a continuous evaluation process for employees with secret and top secret approvals. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members say recent events show the process is broken.

  Congress

  November 01, 2013
• Senators seek probe into how Navy shooter got clearance

  Key senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee are seeking answers into how the contractor employee responsible for the mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard that killed 12 people obtained his security clearance. In a Sept. 18 letter, Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), requested the Office of Personnel Management's inspector general look into what type of clearance the shooter, identified as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis, held as well as what federal agency conducted his background investigation.

  Congress

  September 18, 2013
• Senators seek to eliminate ‘official time’ for federal employees

  Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) introduced a bill to eliminate official time for federal employees. Official time is the paid time that employees spend on union work.

  Congress

  July 22, 2013
• Archuleta makes case to senators to be next OPM director

  Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members pressed Katherine Archuleta on her qualifications, how she will address the retirement claims backlog and on the use of official time. Archuleta appears headed down the path toward confirmation.

  Congress

  July 17, 2013
• Regulatory czar nominee pledges to speed up review process

  President Barack Obama's pick to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) pledged to clear up delays in the regulatory process if confirmed by the Senate. Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Wednesday, Howard Shelanski said improving the timeliness of OIRA's work -- which has come in for criticism from Republican lawmakers and transparency groups, alike -- is among his top priorities.

  Congress

  June 12, 2013
• Senators call for GSA chief to look at PBS structure

  In a letter to Acting Administrator Dan Tangherlini, a bipartisan group of senators called for an evaluation of the structure of GSA's Public Buildings Service, tying it to the wasteful spending of the Las Vegas scandal.

  Budget

  May 22, 2012
• Senate bill aims to speed up elimination of excess federal properties

  Bipartisan legislation in the Senate aims to streamline the elimination of excess federal properties by setting up a council within agencies and the Office of Management and Budget and creating government-wide property disposal goals.

  Budget

  March 12, 2012
• Senators want progress report on real property disposal efforts

  Senators Tom Carper and Rob Portman requested information from agencies on the number of excess and underutilized properties they currently own. The senators expect a progress report by July 25.

  Budget

  July 07, 2011
• CRS opens door for vendor reporting of political spending

  A new report found the courts have given presidents wide authority over federal contracting. But CRS finds plenty of examples where executive orders have violated existing law. The CRS study comes as the Senate passes an amendment in the defense authorization bill to prohibit DoD from collecting vendor information on political contributions.

  Management

  June 21, 2011
• House votes to block contractor disclosure

  Three members of the House and four members of the Senate introduce companion pieces of legislation to head off the White House\'s draft executive order requiring contractors to disclose political contributions.

  Management

  May 27, 2011
• Bill to reduce Senate-confirmed positions advances

  The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee agreed to legislation Wednesday that would take roughly 200 presidential appointees out of the Senate confirmation process. The vast number of Senate-confirmable positions has become unwieldy for the upper chamber, and has deterred too many qualified candidates from accepting executive branch appointments, committee leaders said.

  Budget

  April 14, 2011