Oversight

Former USDA chief disputes Hatch Act report

Mike Johanns asks OSC to fix "inaccuracies" in a report that he was among 10 Cabinet officials and agency heads whose travel during the 2006 midterm season violated the law.

Oversight

Obama rebuffs GOP calls for immediate deep spending cuts

President calls for spending freeze much more limited than the huge reductions in discretionary spending Republicans are demanding.

Oversight

Obama pledges massive overhaul of government

'We need to think bigger' about merging, consolidating and reorganizing agencies, president says in State of the Union address.

Oversight

‘Put your pom-poms on’: Report details Hatch Act violations

Office of Special Counsel concludes Bush administration officials violated federal law by hosting political events on government time and in federal facilities.

Defense

From Nextgov.com: Hackers didn’t retrieve data in Defense pharmacy website attack

No personally identifiable information was stored on the site.

Oversight

Agencies learn from missteps during last year’s flooding in Nashville

Weather Service and Army Corps of Engineers officials agree with report’s call for better coordination of rainfall forecast communication and mapping.

Oversight

TSP recalls erroneous distribution payments

Board approves $1.5 million for testing to prevent future software glitches.

Oversight

Obama to propose five-year spending freeze

Move would save about $400 billion through 2015, according to White House estimates.

Oversight

Tit-for-tat on House oversight panel appears to be the norm

Republican and Democratic leaders interact mainly through public letters.

Oversight

Report on Bush-era Hatch Act violations could lead to Obama probes

House oversight chair Darrell Issa, R-Calif., began inquiries about campaign-related travel by agency heads last year.

Oversight

The Right Direction

To get reelected, President Obama will need to continue his move toward the center.

Oversight

EPA tops list of pending regulations under review

White House tracking of agency rule-making shows 130 proposals under evaluation as President Obama launches effort to weed out inefficiencies.

Oversight

Federal government recoups record amount in Medicare fraud

Officials collected $4 billion in 2010; more than half of the money has been returned to the Medicare Trust Fund.

Oversight

Promotions and pay increases decline for many workers

Federal managers should focus on alternative incentives to rewarding employee performance, observer says.

Defense

Obama will spotlight beginning of the end in Afghanistan

In Tuesday's speech, the president is expected to make clear that 2011 will be the high water mark for the U.S troop presence in Afghanistan, which will decline over the next three years.

Defense

Patent Office director touts agency's potential to stimulate economy

Easing the backlog in patent applications could help create jobs, says David Kappos.

Oversight

Contractor performance database goes public in April

GSA sets a target date for opening the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System to public viewing.

Oversight

SEC transparency faulted by watchdog group

Project on Government Oversight assembles previously unpublished reports examining employee misconduct and retaliation against whistleblowers.

Oversight

Interior to reinstate ousted Park Police chief after eight years

Department will not appeal MSPB order to give Teresa Chambers her job back.

Defense

Unwanted Pentagon weapons systems often prove impossible to kill

Lawmakers from both parties are mobilizing to save programs Defense Secretary Gates has placed on the chopping block.