OIRA administrator nominee would focus on regulatory look back
If confirmed as the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Howard Shelanski would continue the regulatory look-back process emphasized by his predecessor Cass Sunstein.
Agencies need governmentwide guidance on suspension and debarment process, GAO official says
Though the suspension and debarment system has been around for many years, there is little guidance for it, Government Accountability Office Acting Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management John Neumann said at a June 12 House Government and Oversight Committee hearing.
Spotlight: VA says its on track to meet 2015 claims processing goal
The Veterans Affairs Department is still on track to meet its goal of processing all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy by the end of 2015, Director of Compensation and Pension Service Thomas Murphy told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in a June 12 hearing.
OMB releases updated guidance on conference spending
On the heels of a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report on excessive spending at a 2010 Internal Revenue Service conference, the Office of Management and Budget released guidance May 28 to help agency conference planners balance cost and mission needs.
Senate considers ATF nominee Jones
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has suffered without a Senate-confirmed leader since 2006, said B. Todd Jones, the ATF's acting director, as a Senate panel considered his nomination to be the director on a permanent basis.
Contractor use in intelligence community called into question
The intelligence community's reliance on contractors has been called into question since The Guardian reported that Booz Allen employee Eric Snowden leaked information about a National Security Agency classified surveillance program. In a June 11 Defense Department budget hearing with the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), asked how many contractors work on defense operations.
Hagel calls on Congress to stop sequestration cuts for 2014
For the military to get back to an acceptable readiness level, Congress must stop sequestration cuts, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said while defending President Obama's fiscal 2014, $526.6 billion DoD budget request during a June 11 Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense hearing.
CSIS notes shortcomings of federal spending transparency efforts
Federal spending data systems have improved in recent years but still come up short in their efforts to fully inform the public on government spending, says a June 6 brief from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
DoD cost estimate for Marines' Pacific relocation not reliable, GAO says
The Defense Department's preliminary cost estimate for its plan to relocate 9,000 Marines from of Okinawa, Japan,because it's missing costs and is based on limited data, a June 11 Government Accountability Office report says.
Tangherlini sets GSA up for failure
Spotlight: GPO nominee's hearing set for Wednesday
Davita Vance-Cooks is set to appear before the Senate Rules Committee June 12 as it considers her nomination to head the Government Printing Office.
Nepotism in intern hiring 'widely accepted' at DOE, report says
The OIG came to that conclusion in the course of its inspection of an Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy senior official, whose three children all received internships at the department in 2012. Two officials who made the hiring decisions in question also said they believed it was common practice to advocate for internships for one's relatives, the OIG report (.pdf) says.
Federal workforce drops by 14,000 employees in May, BLS says
The federal workforce dropped in May by 14,000 employees and over the last three months, the number of federal workers fell by 45,000, a June 7 Bureau of Labor Statistics report says.
BLM horse management strategy not viable, report says
The process the Bureau of Land Management uses to remove free-range horses from public land is both economically unstable and actually perptuates overpopulation, a National Research Council report says.
VA should improve oversight of independent living benefits, says GAO
Because veterans can receive such a broad range of benefits through the Veterans Affairs Department's Independent Living program, improved oversight at the national level is needed to ensure that the benefits are appropriate, a report from the Government Accountability Office says.
PRC wants to speed up approval process for major changes
The Postal Service proposed a way to streamline its process of implementing major changes by shortening the time its review board has to weigh in. Under postal law, USPS must request an advisory opinion from the five-person regulatory panel before it can make changes that would have a nationwide impact on service levels. The frequency of USPS requests for advisory opinions has increased in recent years, the statement notes.
House committee passes $522.1 billion National Defense Authorization Act
The House Armed Services Committee passed on June 6 their version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which specified $552.1 billion in overall spending for national defense and an additional $85.8 billion in overseas contingency operations. The bill (H.R. 1960), would allocate $526.6 billion for Defense Department discretionary spending and $7.7 billion in mandatory funds.
Supreme Court deliberating on voting rights case
The Supreme Court will rule soon on a case that challenges the constitutionality of a provision in the Voting Rights Act that requires jurisdictions with a history of voting problems to get federal approval before changing their voting laws or procedures.The decision could come as early as June 10.
GSA and Trump agree to deal on Old Post Office
The Trump Organization and the General Services Administration agreed to a 60-year lease where Trump will spend $200 million redeveloping the Old Post Office into a hotel, a GSA agreement says. The deal was made in accordance with the 2008 Old Post Office Building Redevelopment Act, but Congress has 30 days to review the deal and finalize it.
DoD made $1.1 billion in improper payments, GAO says
The Defense Department made $1.1 billion in improper payments in 2011, a recently released May 13 Government Accountability Office report says. Improper payments include wrong payout for health benefits, retirement pay and travel reimbursement.
