Defense
House votes to exempt TRICARE from health reform bill
TRICARE and other Defense beneficiaries will not have to purchase coverage beyond what they already have.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: Insurgents years ago obtained U.S. systems used to stop IEDs, report says
The devices might have been sent to Iran to develop countermeasures that block jamming signals that prevent the detonation of roadside bombs, according to an Army document.
Defense
Airbus manufacturer may bid for Air Force tankers
Defense Department might extend deadline to give EADS more time to prepare bid.
Defense
Pentagon audit cited TSA nominee's firm for overbilling
Company founded by retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Harding overcharged the government for interrogation work in Iraq and had to pay back about $2 million.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: NRC fines VA for botched radiation therapy procedures
Record penalty reflects "lack of safety culture to ensure patients are treated safely ," official says.
Defense
Interrogation work by TSA nominee's firm under review
Congressional staffers are investigating whether Harding's former consulting company had ties to the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Defense
Unions press forward in battle to represent airport screeners
Dueling labor groups have both filed election petitions; one hit Capitol Hill to push a bill granting transportation security officers bargaining rights.
Defense
White House details ethics agreement with TSA nominee
Harding will have three levels of recusals for dealing with the contracting business he founded in 2003 and the clients and partners of that business.
Defense
Lawmakers: Facilities shouldn’t set their own security standards
D.C. delegate suggests establishing minimum requirements governmentwide so employees who “don’t know a hill of beans about security” aren’t making the rules.
Defense
FEMA seeks to boost regional offices
Lawmakers praise efforts to decentralize operations, but worry about staffing shortages.
Defense
Petraeus: Expect setbacks in Afghan war
Army general says next several months will be marked by tough fighting, as the military sends 30,000 more troops to quell rising violence.
Defense
Legal adviser: Drone position will be explained
State Department's Harold Koh said he is "comfortable" with the administration's legal position on the use of unmanned aircraft to kill suspected terrorists.
Defense
OMB details many concerns with intelligence bills
Congressional notification provisions in House and Senate authorization measures top the list of issues.
Defense
Nominee's ties to TSA contractors raise ethics concerns
White House says retired Army Maj. Gen. Robert Harding will recuse himself for one year from matters relating to security firm he founded.
Defense
Navy acknowledges schedule for F-35 fighter is slipping
Service had hoped to avoid delays that plagued the Air Force’s portion of the program, but now faces a 13-month lag.
Defense
Senators seek clean FAA bill
Extraneous provisions could erode bipartisan support for the measure, Commerce Committee leaders say.
Defense
Fighter jet's costs jump more than 50 percent
Increase means the Pentagon's largest program will breach the 1982 Nunn-McCurdy cost-control law.
Defense
Burning Question: Does the Pentagon deserve an Oscar for Best Embedding Program?
Official says success of "The Hurt Locker" at the Oscars validates program to embed journalists in military units.
Defense