Federal Drive Interviews — April 12, 2013

Federal Drive

Federal Drive Interviews — April 12, 2013

Stephen Goss, chief actuary for the Social Security Administration, talks about how actuaries can help federal agencies improve financial planning. Dr. Matthew...

Federal News Network Staff

April 12, 2013 12:09 pm

4 min read

This is the Federal Drive show blog. Here you can listen to the interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day and links to additional resources.

Today’s guests:

Stephen Goss
chief actuary
Social Security Administration

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If you thought actuaries were so boring they make accountants seem exciting, think again. Actuaries work throughout the federal government. As part of our weeklong multimedia series, Rise of the Money People, we asked an actual actuary about his work and how it can help federal agencies improve their financial planning. Stephen Goss is chief actuary at the Social Security Administration. Our first question was, what do actuaries do?

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
chairman
Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce

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Over the past three years, the Government Accountability Office has found more than 160 areas where, it seems, federal programs are either stepping on each others toes or just not coordinating their services. The most recent report, issued this week, highlights 31 areas. Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) oversees the Senate subcommittee on government efficiency. We spoke to him as part of our weeklong multi-media series Rise of the Money People: Financial management moves front and center as agencies make final assault on wasted billions. Tester says his panel is rooting out duplication and gaps in federal services.

Dr. Matthew Harris
associate adjunct professor
University of Maryland – University College

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A lack of budgetary independence is hampering the ability of inspectors general to detect fraud. That’s one of the findings in a new study on IG offices across the country. Dr. Matthew Harris is an associate adjunct professor at the University of Maryland University College. He led the study and he joins us with more.

Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.)
chairman
House Oversight Committee on Government Operations

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Today, to close our weeklong multimedia series Rise of the Money People: Financial management moves front and center as agencies make final assault on wasted billions, we’re looking at Congress’ role in federal financial management. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) has long accused the government of being too big. Now he chairs a new House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations. That gives him greater control over one of his pet issues, disposing of federal property and a lot more.

MORE FROM THE FEDERAL DRIVE

Friday morning federal headlines – April 12, 2013
The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air. In today’s news, a new memorial honors civilian employees across government who have died while serving their country and the FBI has appointed a new leader of its terrorist screening center.

From Our Reporters

Lawmakers are far from satisfied with the White House’s proposals to change the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan. House Oversight and Government Reform members today wanted more details and data from the Office of Personnel Management. Still, committee members express the belief that the 50-year-old law creating the FEHBP is in need of a major update. Federal News Radio’s executive editor Jason Miller tells us about the potential sticking points to making those proposals a reality.
It’s the final day in Federal News Radio’s weeklong multimedia series: Rise of The Money People: Financial management moves front and center as agencies make final assault on wasted billions. This morning, we take a look at the Defense Department’s progress toward obtaining a clean audit opinion, a path that’s dragged on for more than two decades. The department now has legal deadlines in place: an interim deadline of 2014 for an interim audit, and 2017 for a full audit. But as Federal News Radio’s Jared Serbu reports, experts who are watching the process closely are almost universally skeptical that the Pentagon will meet those deadlines.

DoD Report