Susan Collins
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White House is considering issuing an executive order that would require vendors to submit information about their political contributions as part of their bid proposal package. Industry associations say the proposal wouldn\'t keep political influence out of the acquisition process, but likely add it in. The administration claims the draft order is all about greater transparency and accountability.
April 21, 2011 -
Federal News Radio viewed a copy of the proposal that would codify DHS\'s role in overseeing civilian agency networks. The draft legislation would expand DHS\'s authorities to those that are similar to what DoD already has around cyber. It also would include new roles around acquisition, personnel and FISMA implementation.
April 14, 2011 -
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.
April 14, 2011 -
The sophisticated cyber attack on security company RSA has Senate Republicans worried. The attack targeted RSA’s SecurID product. And the cyber crooks got away with confidential data about products that make it harder for people…
March 21, 2011 -
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today approved the nomination of Heather Higginbottom to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.
March 16, 2011 -
Fears that the leak of thousands of State Department memos to the website WikiLeaks would reverse progress on interagency sharing of national security information have not materialized, officials testified Thursday. Agencies have responded by recognizing the need to protect data rather than by hoarding it, they said.
March 11, 2011 -
Nearly every President since Richard Nixon tried to revamp how the government works in one way or another, and few have found any real success. Experts say the focus should be getting Congressional buy-in first, and not promising cost savings. Four senior lawmakers ask OMB for more information on the status of the current restructuring effort.
March 09, 2011 -
Sen. Collins asked GAO to study the current roles and responsibilities of these senior technology managers. This would be the third such study from GAO since 1996, but first since 2005. VA\'s CIO Roger Baker reiterates his call to give CIOs oversight and authority of their IT budget.
March 07, 2011 -
Postmaster General Pat Donahoe said he\'s ready to announce more RIFs and without legislative help USPS will face insolvency this year. Sen. Susan Collins introduced a bill to help solve some of the challenges the Postal Services faces.
March 03, 2011 -
GAO\'s biannual list includes 30 programs that are in trouble. House and Senate members promise to focus more of their attention on the initiatives most at risk. Members plan to use the model that worked for DoD and personnel security clearances in other problematic areas.
February 17, 2011 -
Lawmakers are worried about a so-called Internet \"kill switch\" in a cyber bill.
February 09, 2011 -
Postal workers have been collecting workers\' comp after retirement. A bill introduced by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) would put an end to it.
February 03, 2011 -
Two years ago a group of Senators asked how effective the Department of Homeland Security was in protecting the border between the U.S. and Canada. The report is in, and the Senators are not happy.
February 02, 2011 -
Experts and lawmakers say the proof will be in the OIRA guidance to agencies in how impactful these reforms will be. Agencies must submit plans to OIRA in 120 days about how they will review existing regulations to ensure they are still relevant. Agencies will have to determine a cost-benefit analysis on existing rules.
January 19, 2011 -
The bill aims to improve acquisition workforce training, increase accountability and expand the use of the Acquisition Workforce Training Fund.
December 16, 2010