Oversight
Senate passes, House rejects bill mandating new performance goals, better reporting
Measure requires agencies to name chief operating and performance improvement officers.
Oversight
Democrats give up on omnibus bill, likely avert a shutdown
Senators abandon effort to pass a $1.11 trillion fiscal 2011 spending bill, will focus on short-term continuing resolution.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: DHS chief says cybersecurity is a civilian -- not military -- problem
Homeland Security will partner with Defense and private sector to safeguard Internet users and infrastructure , Napolitano says.
Oversight
New Congress could put the brakes on insourcing
Lawmakers want to slow down and assess whether the Obama administration initiative is being implemented strategically, say current and former staff members.
Oversight
Agencies unveil renewable energy roadmap
Proposal targets specific zones for solar energy development on federal land in six Western states.
Oversight
Possibility of government shutdown looms
Current stopgap funding legislation expires midnight Saturday.
Defense
Poll finds new low in Afghan war support
New study finds 60 percent of Americans said that the war is "not worth fighting," a new high in public dissatisfaction.
Defense
Military academies report a 64 percent increase in sexual assault reports
Defense officials estimate fewer than 10 percent of incidents are actually reported at the academies.
Defense
House votes again to repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'
Stand-alone bill seeks to pressure the Senate to act before adjournment and get a repeal measure to the White House.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: Senate panel approves VA tech budget below president’s request
Omnibus spending bill also puts a hold on $742.8M until CIO outlines costs for IT projects.
Oversight
Senate omnibus spending bill laden with earmarks
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and others are devising a plan to require that the entire 1,924-page bill be read aloud on the Senate floor -- a move that could delay a final vote.
Oversight
Senate appropriator says he has the votes to pass catch-all spending bill
Package caps discretionary spending at $1.108 trillion, the level that Republicans demanded this year.
Oversight
Solutions offered to reduce delays in confirming presidential appointees
Brookings scholars examine why previous reform proposals have been stalled by congressional partisanship and paperwork burdens.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: VA rolls out ‘smart home’ project to rehabilitate brain injury patients
Florida hospital uses technology to help veterans relearn basic but important tasks such as doing the laundry and shaving.
Oversight
Independents’ Day
The tax deal is just the kind of compromise that independents wish Washington would do more often.
Defense
Defense Logistics Agency relieves key commander
Air Force Brig. Gen. Scott Chambers oversaw troop support contracts worth $14.5 billion.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: Aftermath of WikiLeaks flap underscores vulnerabilities of the cloud
Denial-of-service attacks show the risks to operations when agencies rely on third parties to host IT services, say cybersecurity experts.
Oversight
GSA aims to make agency websites more user-friendly
Program uses inexpensive testing methods to identify the most serious problems with federal sites.
Defense
Navy delays Littoral Combat Ship contract award
Original Dec. 14 deadline has been extended to Dec. 30 to give Congress more time to consider plans to award 10 ships apiece to two contractors.
Oversight