Interior Department to focus on Indian education and renewable energy, Jewell says
The Interior Department must focus on advancing Indian student education and building upon renewable energy project success on reservations, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee at a May 15 hearing. Only 52 percent of students at Bureau of Indian Education schools graduate as opposed to 76 percent in non-BIE public schools, said Chairwoman Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) at the hearing.
Millions could be saved if agencies stop duplicating services, Dodaro tells the Senate
Agencies don't do enough to stop program and services duplication, which costs the government millions of dollars, Government Accountability Office Comptroller Gene Dodaro told the Senate Budget Finance Committee during a May 16 hearing. For example, if the military services jointly purchased uniforms, they could collectively save up to $80 million, Dodaro said.
GSA failed to follow legal process when doling out bonuses, IG report says
The General Services Administration did not properly review senior executives when giving out bonuses from 2009 to 2011 and instead employed practices that lacked transparency and accountability, a May 16 GSA Inspector General report says. GSA "illustrated a willingness by the GSA to violate legal requirements and the way officials gave out bonuses was a "manufactured process," the report says.
VA mandates overtime to reduce claims backlog
The Veterans Affairs Department announced it would mandate overtime for claims processors at its 56 regional offices as a way to reduce the backlog of VA disability claims. The mandate will be implemented through the end of fiscal 2013, a May 15 VA statement said.
Federal courts ask OMB for $72.9 million in additional funds
The federal courts system needs $72.9 million in supplemental funding this year to prevent layoffs and other repercussions from sequester-related budget cuts, says the Judicial Conference of the United States. "The judiciary is confronting an unprecedented fiscal crisis that could seriously compromise the constitutional mission of the United States courts," the letter says.
Spotlight: Moniz in at DOE, Werfel to IRS
The Senate confirmed Ernest Moniz as energy secretary on May 16 by a 97-0 vote. Moniz, previously a physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was nominated in March to replace Steven Chu, also a former physics professor.
GSA will pay $3M to more than 1,000 contractors kicked out of schedules program
The General Services Administration owes more than one thousand contractors more than $3 million because the agency failed to reimburse vendors after kicking them out of the schedules program.
Draft funding bill proposes $147.6 billion for Veterans Affairs
Under House Appropriations Committee spending bill for the coming fiscal year marked up in subcommittee May 15, the Veterans Affairs Department would be funded at a topline of $147.6 billion, with $63.1 billion of that being discretionary spending.
Army needs specific rules for building maintenance after base closures, GAO report says
Facilities at some closed Army installations were not maintained at a high enough level for reuse within communities surrounding the closed bases because the Army doesn't have specific guidelines for maintenance, a May 14 Government Accountability Office report (.pdf) says.
Acting IRS commissioner resigns over Tea Party targeting
Acting Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Steven Miller resigned Wednesday night, President Obama said that same day, after a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report showed the IRS used inappropriate criteria to select tea party organizations for tax-exempt status review.
Agencies could save on services procurement by setting savings goals, GAO says
By using private sector procurement techniques such as setting savings goals, the federal government could save $12 billion a year on aquiring services, a recently released April 15 Government Accountability Office report (.pdf) says.
Spotlight: DOJ confronts Associated Press, IRS controversies
Attorney General Eric Holder is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee today on a variety of issues including the Justice Department's seizure of Associated Press telephone records.
Yang fills EEOC year-long vacancy
Jenny Yang was sworn in as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission May 13, returning it to its full complement of five commissioners after a year-long vacancy.
Chained CPI takes better account of consumer spending habits, report says
The chained consumer price index method of tracking price inflation takes consumer spending habits into account better than the standard consumer price index currently in place, a May 8 Congressional Research Service report (.pdf) says.
Military task force explores 'human domain' of conflict
"That competition and conflict are about people is hardly a revelation. Nevertheless, this fundamental premise often has not received the central emphasis that it should in U.S. military deliberation," says the white paper, released May 13 and signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos and Navy Adm. William McRaven, head of Special Operations Command.
Obama calls for OPM review of gender pay gap
President Obama called on the Office of Personnel Management to plan a governmentwide strategy to reduce the gender pay gap in the federal workforce, May 10 memo says. Within 180 days, OPM must submit a strategy that addresses whether a chance in the General Schedule classification system would address the gender pay gap.
DoD to furlough civilian workforce for 11 days, Hagel says
The Defense Department will furlough its civilian employees for 11 days due to sequestration cuts, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a prepared statement May 14. Furloughs will begin July 8 at a rate of one day per week.
My attempts at a pain-free ergo office
Nominee for OMB deputy director emphasizes quality workforce
OMB has a reputation for having "excellent professional staff," Brian Deese said. "It's also facing a lot of challenges today, and so I think that investing in making sure that the institution is able to continue to attract and recruit top-flight talent" will be key, he said.
Commerce employees made improper purchases with agency cards, report says
Commerce Department employees in 2011 made improper transactions with department purchase cards that included transactions that exceeded the card holders limit, a May 2 Commerce Department Inspector General report (.pdf) says.
