sequestration

  • Building on the success of its Global Entry program for pre-enrolled travelers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has developed a self-service kiosk that anyone can use. John Wagner, executive director for Admissibility and Passenger Programs at CBP, tells Agency of the Month about this and other new technologies coming to an airport near you.

    February 05, 2013
  • President Barack Obama is asking Congress for a short-term deficit reduction package of spending cuts and tax revenue that will delay the effective date of steeper automatic cuts now scheduled to kick in on March 1. Obama said the looming cuts would be economically damaging and must be avoided.

    February 05, 2013
  • Michael Tinsley, CEO of NeoSystems Corp., tells The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp, there's little contractors can do to influence agencies facing impending sequestration beyond maintaining good communications and weathering the storm.

    February 05, 2013
  • Robert Litan discusses a Bloomberg Government study about rule-making in the Obama administration. Michael Tinsley, CEO of NeoSystems Corp., offers insight on how furloughs might affect federal contractors. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo weighs in on a a 2012 Supreme Court case that could come back to bite federal agencies facing budget cuts under sequestration. Gregory Wilshusen discusses a new GAO report on how prepared agencies are to fend of online assaults. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service talks about sequestration and the threat of furloughs.

    February 05, 2013
  • Thanks to top government officials, we now have the definitive answer as to whether the government will have a series of furloughs and if so how they will work. The answer is either yes or no. There seems to be a little confusion at the top, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.

    February 05, 2013
  • Shortfalls in operating accounts would mean military units would be undertrained, underequipped and unable to deploy by the end of fiscal 2013, senior DoD officials predict.

    February 04, 2013
  • Much of the media is treating the threat of a 22-day federal furlough as if it were a sporting event, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. But this is big-time, heavy economic stuff. A revenue-choker for struggling state and local governments and a possible threat to economic recovery.

    January 31, 2013
  • Federal Managers Association President Pat Niehaus and Federal Times reporters Steve Losey and Sean Reilly join host Mike Causey to talk about sequestration and other issues affecting feds. January 30, 2013

    January 30, 2013
  • Round one is already in effect and includes a civilian hiring freeze, cancellation of conferences, cutbacks on training, and a reduction in IT spending for the Navy. Round two would involve unpaid civilian furloughs, operational reductions for deployed ships, and cuts to tuition assistance for sailors.

    January 30, 2013
  • DoD's operations and maintenance accounts will likely be hit first if sequestration goes into effect. Unlike its procurement and research and development activities, which can continue to function on funds obligated in prior years, O&M dollars generally get spent right away. In preparation for sequestration, the Pentagon has already let go of tens of thousands of temporary hires and is drawing up a contingency plan for one-day-a-week furloughs. Deputy Secretary Ashton Carter says the unpaid furloughs would begin in April and continue through the remainder of the fiscal year if sequestration is not avoided.

    January 28, 2013
  • The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will implement significant cost-cutting measures next week to prepare for the possibility of automatic spending cuts due to hit government in March. DFAS plans to freeze most hiring, reduce travel and overtime, and temporarily halt new employee performance awards, according to DFAS Director Terri McKay.

    January 24, 2013
  • OPM's Angela Bailey discusses how agencies are struggling to fill critical skill gaps in the hard sciences. Procurement attorney Joe Petrillo fills us in on what to expect with the new defense authorization law. Jacque Simon of AFGE says her union is frustrated with the lack of attention being paid to federal workers' concerns over sequestration. John Palguta of the Partnership for Public Service discusses possible changes agencies may face in President Obama's second term.

    January 22, 2013
  • Guidance from the administration on what steps federal agencies should take to prepare for potential across-the-board budget cuts has set off a war of words between federal-employee unions and industry groups. The American Federation of Government Employees says guidance exempts contractors at the expense of federal employees, but industry groups say the criticism is misguided.

    January 18, 2013
  • The Army has put an immediate freeze on civilian hiring and will begin terminating some temporary employees to reduce spending ahead of potential across-the-board budget cuts later this year. Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno and Army Secretary John McHugh also directed Army commanders and supervisors to reduce base-operations support spending.

    January 18, 2013