Outside Experts

Mitt Romney

Management

NIH tries to balance scientists' interests with taxpayer interests

A recent congressional hearing on NIH exposed a conflict that pits taxpayer-funded scientists' interest in making discoveries against the taxpayers' desire for near-term therapies and ethical restraints on research.

Defense

Lawmakers call for suspension of new passenger screening system

House lawmakers said Friday that a controversial new airline passenger screening system should be “suspended indefinitely,” after government auditors declared the system flawed and behind schedule.

Pay & Benefits

Homeland Security unveils performance pay plan

Homeland Security Department officials said Friday that they want to transfer as many as 8,000 employees to a performance-based pay system in fiscal 2005.

Pay & Benefits

Pentagon Parley

Navy Secretary Gordon England will serve as point man for negotiations with organized labor over controversial proposed changes to the Pentagon’s personnel system.

Defense

Senators seek to make increase in Army troops permanent

The Army's plan to temporarily increase its force levels by 30,000 soldiers could become permanent if a handful of senators can garner support for new draft legislation likely to be included in the fiscal 2005 defense authorization bill, according to Senate aides.

Tech

Delays push IRS to punish contractor

Continued delays and budget problems with the IRS modernization project have forced the agency to open future projects to competition.

Defense

Defense contractors owe billions in unpaid federal taxes

U.S. defense contractors failed to pay the federal government billions in taxes and, in some cases, may be guilty of criminal offenses, General Accounting Office auditors said Thursday.