Oversight
Cheney's office logs victory in spending bill fight
Committee votes by narrow margin to strike language that would have withheld funding for the vice president’s office pending compliance with executive order.
Defense
Bush issues Iraq report as Senate argues over strategy
President indicates he will not make significant changes until a "more comprehensive assessment" is delivered in September.
News
Surgeon general nominee downplays paper he wrote
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has yet to set a date to vote on the nomination.
Defense
Undercover officials get license to buy dirty bomb materials
GAO officials used name of bogus business to win approval to buy critical equipment.
Defense
Lawmakers demand speed, efficiency for port worker IDs
House members say they don’t want the Transportation Security Administration to sacrifice accuracy in the process, however.
Defense
Border Patrol apprehensions down along southern border
Agency says decrease indicates decline in illegal activity; union representative suspects activity has shifted to other areas.
Oversight
Administration’s financial management chief to retire
Linda Combs helped update inventory of excess property, guided agencies in reducing payment errors.
Pay & Benefits
Senate appropriators back 3.5 percent civilian pay raise
Committee also approves funding for project to shift paper-based employee retirement records to an electronic system.
Defense
Need for next war spending bill might be delayed
Administration official says money from last supplemental will be left after Sept. 30 because the funding came later than expected.
Oversight
Labor-HHS, transportation spending bills advance
Measures overshoot President Bush's spending targets for fiscal 2008 by $16 billion, which will surely result in a veto fight.
Pay & Benefits
Pay Raise Prospects
The process of approving a 2008 pay raise for federal employees is running smoothly, for now.
Oversight