Defense

House Defense spending bill boosts R&D funds

Measure makes several adjustments to major procurement programs and fully funds president's request for a 3.1 percent pay raise for military personnel.

Defense

Pentagon IG tanker report points finger at senior officials

Report implicates more than a half-dozen senior Pentagon officials in wrongdoing, but strikes names of many other, more mid-level acquisition personnel.

Oversight

High Anxiety

Job approval ratings indicate that the public is completely unaware of what Congress has achieved.

News

Paying the Patent Piper

None

Defense

FBI, Santa Fe police probe attack on Los Alamos employee

The employee, Tommy Hook, had alleged financial improprieties at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Defense

Zippo fires up effort to ease TSA restrictions on lighters

Having won a battle to allow unfilled lighters on airplanes, company lobbies TSA to let passengers travel with filled lighters in checked bags.

Management

Spending bills on schedule--for now

The table is set for reversing the seemingly never-ending cycle of omnibus bills and continuing resolutions, but there will be many opportunities for the process to unravel.

Tech

Government to spearhead creation of e-healthcare system

New panel tasked with overseeing creation of digital health records system.

Defense

Pentagon misses deadline for releasing base-closing data

Sens. Collins and Lieberman continue to press for the information.

Defense

Ex-federal officials question pace of FBI reforms

Members of last year's 9/11 commission, reviewing progress on recommendations, will weigh whether agency should be disbanded.

Management

House to vote on postal overhaul bill

White House and bill's sponsors continue to negotiate over military pension language.

News

GAO sustains protest of Air Force contract

Decision is unusual because agency does not usually review contract modifications after a contract has been awarded.

Oversight

Industry group lobbies to loosen requirements for disadvantaged business status

Aerospace Industries Association says limit on net worth is too restrictive and outpaced by inflation.

Management

FSS chief retires as Congress, industry question reorganization plan

Senior official announces retirement a day after release of draft plan that she worked on to merge her service with FTS.

Management

Appropriators wary of requiring OMB to rate programs

Lawmakers fear legislation would give the White House too much control over agency activities.

Defense

Defense ends conversations with unions over personnel system

Union leaders say meetings accomplished little, if anything.

Defense

Bush directive clarifies information sharing responsibility

Move is intended to resolve ambiguities in the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act.

Defense

Union criticizes punishment of Border Patrol agents

National Border Patrol Council denounces the punishment given to agents who allegedly received money from landlords while stationed along the border.

Management

HHS chief lays out 500-day management plan

Secretary Mike Leavitt's management principles have developed over several years of leading bureaucracies.