News

The House Appropriations subcommittee on defense marked up a defense appropriations bill on June 5 that provides $512.5 billion in base funding. That amount, which is part of a $972.6 billion discretionary spending plan (.pdf) for the coming fiscal year, is $3.4 billion less than President Obama's defense spending request and $28.1 billion more than the current level after sequestration spending cuts.

Americans want the Postal Service to stick around, with most interested in continuing to receive physical mail but willing to consider more self-service options, according to a new report (.pdf) by the USPS Office of Inspector General. Young people, in particular, were willing to consider a post office with expanded and digital services, the report says.

The White House announced Tuesday steps to improve incentives for high tech patents, including a proposed rule that would to require patent applicants  and owners to disclose more information about themselves, a June 4 White House fact sheet says.

The Office of Personnel Management will propose a rule that would allow federal workers to work part time while collecting prorated pension payments. Partially retired employees would be required to work 20 hours per week and would receive half of the normal pay and half their normal retirement, the proposal says.

Summer, and Congress now turns to passing the appropriations bills necessary to keep federal agencies running smoothly. Ha! No, it's summer, and Congress now turns to setting the stage for the latest in a series of artificial federal spending crises that will likely turn even more toxic than in 2011 iteration due to the autumn confluence of the federal government reaching the debt limit and the end of the federal fiscal year.

The Internal Revenue Service spent $4.1 million in funds intended for hiring enforcement personnel on a 2010 conference, a May 31 Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report (.pdf) says. TIGTA also said the funds for the conference were not properly documented. The report focuses on the Aug. 2010 $4.1 million Small Business/Self-Employed Division manager's conference in Anaheim, Calif.

The House Rules Committee approved two fiscal 2014 appropriations bills for debate on the House floor during a June 3 hearing, shortly after a warning from President Obama that he would veto both bills because Congress has yet to approve an budget framework with the Senate.

The Senate passed an amendment to the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs bill that would reduce federal premium support for crop insurance participants that make more than $750,000 a year. In a 59 to 33 vote, the senate voted in the amendment added to the bill (S.954) that would reduce the federal government's premium burden by 15 percent.