'Back-Door' Base Closures
Biden Talks Loss With Fallen Troops' Families
Neely Out at GSA
More USPS Buyouts
Gimme My Discount! Deals for Feds
Buyout Watch: Who's Offering What
AUTHOR ARCHIVES
FDA lags on inspections of foreign drug plants
December 14, 2004 While some members of Congress are pushing to allow U.S. residents to buy prescription drugs from other countries, including Canada, the Food and Drug Administration is unable to keep up with biennial inspections of foreign manufacturers that already sell drugs here, officials said. "We are supposed to inspect each foreign ...
Panel OKs OMB review of federal programs every five years
June 4, 2004 The House Government Reform Committee on Thursday approved a bill (H.R. 3826) requiring the Office of Management and Budget, "to the maximum extent practicable," to make assessments of each federal government program at least once every five years. Action was by voice vote. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., vociferously shouted "no" ...
Former official: Improper Medicare claims exceed IG estimate
April 20, 2004 Last year the Health and Human Services inspector general's office reported collecting $988 million from firms and individuals accused of making improper claims for payments by Medicare and Medicaid. That is a nice round sum, almost $1 billion, and in the words of a statement often attributed to the late ...
Panel votes to ease pay 'compression' at upper levels
March 18, 2004 A House Government Reform subcommittee Wednesday approved a bill aimed at reducing "compression" in federal pay scales for administrative law judges and other senior employees. The measure (H.R. 3737) -- which passed the Civil Service subcommittee by voice vote -- addresses situations where higher paid workers stop getting raises because ...
Subcommittee orders study of new dental, hearing, vision benefits
March 17, 2004 A House Government Reform subcommittee on Wednesday approved a bill ordering the Office of Personnel Management to study and recommend improvements in dental, vision, and hearing benefits for federal workers. Action by the Civil Service subcommittee on the bill (H.R. 3751) came by voice vote. The subcommittee also approved by ...
Lawmaker may oppose HUD nominee
February 26, 2004 Acting HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson ran into some tough questioning Thursday at the Senate Banking Committee hearing on his nomination to assume the department's top job, with one Republican senator threatening to vote against his nomination. Democrats posed the most questions, challenging HUD policies as harmful to the poor and ...
House committee backs NASA workforce flexibility
July 23, 2003 The House Science Committee on Tuesday overrode Democratic objections and approved a bill that sponsors said would give greater flexibility to the National Aeronautics and Space Agency to restructure and revitalize its aging workforce. The measure (H.R. 1085) was approved 21 to 14 with only one Democrat voting in favor, ...
Panel backs bill to let private sector workers join feds in getting comp time
April 3, 2003 A House Education and the Workforce subcommittee Thursday approved a bill letting employers permit employees who work overtime to defer receiving immediate overtime payments. Instead, they could receive paid time off from their regular work later. The Workforce Protections subcommittee passed the bill (H.R. 1119) on a party line vote ...
State of the Union promises often go unfulfilled
January 27, 2003 If recent history is any guide, President Bush will say something Tuesday during his State of the Union address about the need to strengthen the long-term financing of Social Security and Medicare, add prescription drug benefits to Medicare and pass a "patients' bill of rights." But eager listeners should not ...
Senate panel passes health, workers' comp, whistleblowing bills
October 9, 2002 The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee passed three bills Wednesday involving disability payments, health benefits for certain federal employees, and whistleblowing procedures at the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of Special Counsel. The panel approved the bills on a 9-0 vote. All those present and voting were Democrats. Republicans, ...
