Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

  • Deputy Secretary Lute told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about how DHS is improving contracting processes. Acquisition is one of three major areas that the department is focusing on to bring integration across all 22 components. Lute said part of her goal is to get off the GAO high-risk list.

    October 01, 2010
  • Eight reports to Congress over the last six years have pointed out numerous shortcomings in the Federal Protective Service. The issues include inadequate training and supervision of contract guards, insufficient staff and budget, and security breaches that have allowed bomb-making materials to be smuggled into supposedly secure buildings. Now, lawmakers say enough is enough, and have introduced legislation designed to modernize and reform the FPS, which is responsible for security in 9,000 federal buildings and courthouses.

    September 22, 2010
  • Senators praise Lew for experience. Committee plans to vote on his nomination next week. Lew said technology, acquisition reform and performance management are among his top non-budget priorities.

    September 17, 2010
  • The White House releases 56 agency sustainability plans showing how the government will meet an assortment of energy efficiency goals. Federal Environmental Executive Michelle Moore said ideas run the gamut from recycling to computer power management. The administration is hosting the GreenGov Symposium in October to help educate and promote agency goals.

    September 13, 2010
  • OMB is using the same data analysis tools to monitor stimulus spending at CMS to reduce their improper payments. Other agencies also are taking advantage of the lessons learned from the creation and operation of the board. Recovery.gov also will receive new features this fall to let citizens track individual projects on their own websites.

    August 04, 2010
  • A Senate panel probes the government\'s continued foreign language deficiencies. The Government Accountability Office finds limited progress across several agencies. DHS and DoD are taking steps to increase the number of employees with foreign language skills.

    July 30, 2010
  • Administrator Gordon says strategic sourcing is one way to ensure the government gets the lowest price and to consolidate existing contracts. Gordon also wants agencies to submit business cases for new multi-agency contracts, but doesn\'t commit to asking agencies to justify all types of multiple award contracts.

    July 01, 2010
  • The Senate Homeland Security Committee approved a bill that could dramatically reshape how agencies secure their computer networks.

    June 30, 2010
  • Sometime in the next few weeks, the Senate is expected to take up a bill designed to strengthen the nation\'s cybersecurity infrastructure. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the legislation Thursday by voice vote.

    June 25, 2010
  • Learn more in today\'s cybersecurity update.

    June 24, 2010
  • Kshemendra Paul, the new Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment, must reestablish the role of the organization, experts say. James Carafano of Heritage says Paul must convince and educate the intelligence community about the value of the ISE. Jim Dempsey of the Markle Foundation Task Force says Paul must figure out the ISE\'s relationship with other information sharing organizations in the government.

    June 02, 2010
  • Audit agency calls for business cases to justify new multiple award contracts, and a database listing all existing contracts. Sen. McCaskill plans to hold a second hearing on interagency contracting in June.

    May 25, 2010
  • Congressional staff members call the current MAC environment \"chaos.\" The administration will decide in a matter of weeks whether NIH should continue to run its CIO-SP3 governmentwide contract. OFPP administrator Gordon says several broad policy decisions must be made to address the challenges around multiple award contracts.

    May 19, 2010
  • Senate subcommittee looks at Stafford Act and how it may need some reform.

    May 17, 2010