Oversight

Homeland Security contractors outnumber civilian employees

Senators call the department’s reliance on the private sector “unacceptable, untenable and unsustainable.”

Oversight

Senate leader throws his picks into deficit commission mix

Republicans are expected to make their selections soon.

Oversight

Census chief defends Super Bowl commercial

Groves says the ad will pay for itself if it prompts people to mail back their 2010 questionnaires.

Defense

National labor leaders back AFGE in effort to organize screeners

Largest federal employee union is vying with NTEU for 40,000 potential new members.

Oversight

Report finds Army broke contracting regulations in Iraq

Decision to withhold 15 percent of funds to KBR violated Federal Acquisition Regulation, Defense IG finds.

Oversight

From Nextgov.com: VA expands plan for troubled IT projects to all system development efforts

Many of the department’s 282 technology programs show at least one characteristic of failure, prompting officials to apply the management and accountability system to all projects.

Defense

Air Force will release tanker RFP on Wednesday

Pentagon officials have said they hope to award a contract this summer for the program, which is the service's top procurement priority.

Defense

Army resists immediate end to gay ban

In congressional testimony, officials recommended against a moratorium on discharging known homosexual service members until a review of "don't ask, don't tell" is completed.

Oversight

Spinning Our Wheels

Next year the makeup of Congress may be entirely different, but dysfunction will continue to reign.

Oversight

Iraq watchdog proposes new agency to manage reconstruction

An office of contingency operations is necessary to improve coordination, special inspector general says.

Oversight

Head of the Fish and Wildlife Service dies on ski trip

Colleagues and environmentalists praise Sam D. Hamilton for his vision.

Defense

AFGE seeks to represent screeners

Republicans say granting collective bargaining rights to TSA screeners could hurt national security.

Defense

Republican renews bid for multiyear F-18 deal

Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri says program's risks are worth cost savings.

Oversight

Challenges loom in expanded use of unmanned systems

Senior Air Force intelligence officer raises concerns about joint operations, airspace control.

Defense

Forward Observer: Weyand's Message

Vietnam general believed that the psychological support of the American people for hard-to-explain wars is far more important than troops, guns, bombers and tanks.

Oversight

Dems take harder fiscal stand than Obama

In reaction to spending emerging as a campaign issue, many Democratic Senate candidates are positioning themselves as more fiscally conservative than president.

Defense

New Air Force program aims to groom civilian executives

Service will designate dozens of senior positions to serve as stepping stones to the SES.

Oversight

From Nextgov.com: Security must be a consideration as acquisition databases are combined

GSA and IBM, which just won a $74.4 million contract to consolidate nine systems, still need to come up with a plan to protect proprietary information.

Oversight

Mississippi governor seeks to help block EPA move

Haley Barbour is drafting a letter to governors asking them to support effort to block agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.

Oversight

House minority whip says GOP will say 'no' on health deal

Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor's comments are the latest evidence that any hope for a health agreement is probably little more than wishful thinking.