Senate
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In a marathon series of votes Tuesday, the Senate considered more than a dozen amendments to a postal reform bill, approving a provision to limit all federal agencies' spending on conferences, but voting down an amendment expanding the federal workers' compensation program. Lawmakers also rejected an amendment that would have required retirement-eligible USPS employees to retire without a buyout payment. The Senate will resume voting on amendments Wednesday at 2 p.m. before voting on a final version of the 21st Century Postal Service Act.
April 24, 2012 -
The administration has tried to get in front of the debate over the information sharing aspects of one of the cybersecurity bills up for debate in the House Thursday. Democratic lawmakers and industry groups expressed concern over the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) arguing its provisions on what information is to be shared and with whom are too broad.
April 23, 2012 -
An amendment to a Senate bill aiming to restructure the U.S. Postal Service's financial framework would institute new agency reporting requirements for retiring federal workers in anticipation of a "deluge of retirees" from USPS. Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), introduced an amendment last week that requires the Office of Personnel Management to take new steps to chip away at the longstanding backlog of federal retirement claims.
April 23, 2012 -
Even if you never, or hardly ever, go to a Post Office there's a good chance you went there Tuesday to mail your taxes, and get an SOS from some worried postal employees, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
April 19, 2012 -
General Services Administration Inspector General Brian Miller told senators on Wednesday his office had made a criminal referral to the Justice Department relating to the ongoing spending scandal. Speaking at the last of four congressional hearings about the GSA, Miller testified that he has heard from "a lot" of whistleblowers since his report was released several weeks ago.
April 18, 2012 -
This week the Senate is expected to take up legislation to reform the Postal Service. The bill could close post offices, end Saturday deliveries and return funds the Postal Service as pre-paid for retiree health benefits. USPS already has started considering how it would operate with a slimmed-down workforce.
April 18, 2012 -
Oversight and Government Reform Committee subpoenas Jeff Neely, PBS region 9 commissioner, to appear. Along with Neely, PBS Deputy Commissioner David Foley and former Administrator Martha Johnson are on the witness list. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee also is expected to hear from GSA Deputy Administrator Susan Brita, CFO Alison Doone and event planner Lisa Daniels.
April 16, 2012 -
Current and former officials at the General Services Administration will face a gauntlet of congressional hearings this week, following reports of excessive spending on a 2010 regional training conference and other programs. In an interview on In Depth with Francis Rose, former Virginia Congressman and Chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Tom Davis shared his insights and what to look for during the hearings.
April 15, 2012 -
Shortly after the Titanic sank 100 years ago, the Senate conducted an investigation into in the disaster. Transcripts of these hearings are available in libraries across the U.S.
April 13, 2012 -
The legislative committee of the Council of the Inspectors General has weighed in on two Senate cybersecurity bills. The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 was introduced by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.). Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), introduced the SECURE IT act.
April 02, 2012 -
The Pentagon is telling lawmakers military retirees' share of health care costs is going to have to increase if it's going to meet the budget targets Congress and the President handed over with last year's budget control act.
March 29, 2012 -
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.
March 12, 2012 -
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) introduced an amendment Thursday to the Senate Highway Bill that would extend the federal pay freeze for another year as part of special deficit reduction trust fund.
March 12, 2012 -
Congress is taking a new road, literally, in its drive to trim federal retirement benefits and force civil servants to kick in more to their pension plan, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. This time its the so-called highway bill ...
February 10, 2012 -
Now that government workers are under attack by politicians, how much clout do federal and postal workers have, and are they going to use it in November? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey searches for answers.
February 03, 2012