News

Senate sends back Bush mine safety, air quality nominees

Other nominations returned include Tracy Henke to be executive director of the office of state and local government coordination and preparedness at DHS.

Management

Senate confirms veteran procurement official for OMB post

Paul Denett promises to focus on emergency contracting, acquisition workforce issues.

Pay & Benefits

Report: Federal pay, benefits double private sector's

New numbers don’t account for higher education of federal employees, and fail to evaluate comparable jobs, critics say.

Tech

Agencies push to meet IT security deadline

Office of Management and Budget memo outlines steps for agencies to improve the security of sensitive information.

Management

Senate panel OKs bill to establish Justice cold case offices

FBI office would investigate unsolved civil rights-era murder cases, and separate Justice Department office would prosecute them.

News

Democrats call for NOAA to focus on troubled oceans

Senators seek more resources to address challenges; problems include loss of coastal wetlands and coral reefs.

Defense

Senate Democrats derail GOP effort to pass Defense bill

Delay makes it more likely a continuing resolution will be needed to cover the department’s initial fiscal 2007 expenses.

Defense

Spanish speakers at a premium at border and immigration agencies

Immigration and Customs Enforcement weighs language requirement for employees involved in detention of illegal immigrants.

Pay & Benefits

The Long Haul: Part Two

The second in a series on long-term care insurance focuses on whether you need to purchase a policy.

Defense

Lawmakers may cut nuclear detection office funding

Senate committee recommends cutting more than $93 million from President Bush’s $535 million budget request for the office.

Pay & Benefits

TSP international fund far outpaces others in yearlong returns

Small and mid-size domestic companies continue volatile streak, dipping in July.

Defense

IG recommends early contracting personnel involvement in reconstruction

Contingency procurement rules and a unified contracting entity also could improve post-conflict response, report says.

Defense

Senate approves measures to improve Defense accountability

Spending bill amendment limiting the annual military travel budget to $70 million passes by voice vote.

Defense

Defense bill includes funding for landmine detection bees

Honey bees have the potential to sweep for mines faster than dogs, and put the dogs and their handlers out of danger.

News

GSA releases new per diem rates

Loudoun County, Va., is removed from the Washington, D.C., per diem area.

Defense

Prospects for security bills wane as campaigns beckon

Measures passed at the committee level in both the House and Senate, including port security legislation, stand better chance.

Pay & Benefits

Bargaining for Pay

Will the new Defense and Homeland Security personnel systems open salaries to negotiation?

Defense

Defense bill attracts potential border security additions

Proposed amendments seek billions to deter illegal immigrants from entering the country.

News

Finding fraud at borders still difficult, DHS official says

Potential solutions include standardizing travel documents and requiring them to be machine readable and have biometric identifiers.

Defense

Lawmakers question Boeing’s ethical commitments

In light of a recent settlement agreement, senators probe, and largely accept, company’s intentions.