Oversight
Senate on track to approve health bill
Chamber is expected to hold a series of votes this week on the legislation, with final passage expected on Dec. 24.
Defense
Senate sends Defense spending bill to Obama
Measure will be the last of the 12 annual appropriations bills to be enacted.
Oversight
Agriculture chief disputes USDA climate bill study
Vilsack says less cropland will be converted to forestland than report suggests.
Oversight
Senator backs settlement of Indian trust fund case
Suit charges that Interior mismanaged money owed to nearly 400,000 Indians from mining, grazing and drilling leases on tribal lands.
Oversight
Defense and State brace for surge in Afghanistan contracting
Officials assure lawmakers they have strategies to steer clear of the waste, fraud and abuse that plagued Iraq procurements.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: GSA awards geospatial services agreements to four firms
$20 million blanket purchase agreement was awarded at the request of the Geospatial Line of Business, chaired by the Interior Department.
Oversight
Senate leader eyes key Monday vote on health bill
A favorable Congressional Budget Office score of a plan to allow OPM to negotiate rates with private insurers on behalf of a national plan would help lock down support.
Oversight
Lawmakers see danger in national debt
Senators say they will not support increase of the national debt limit beyond $12.3 trillion without a plan to create a debt-reduction panel.
Defense
Troop surge to bring more orders for unmanned aircraft
Officials say intelligence and reconnaissance equipment will play a big role in Afghanistan mission.
Defense
Veterans Affairs’ acquisition practices come under fire
Inefficiencies and fraud in contracting programs lead lawmakers to weigh legislation updating the department’s business practices.
Defense
House passes Defense spending bill, riders
Chamber also approves five-day continuing resolution to keep the Pentagon running until the Senate passes and the president signs the appropriations measure.
Defense
Senate leader's Christmas wish list is growing
Sen. Harry Reid wants the chamber to pass a continuing resolution, short-term debt limit increase, Defense spending bill and health care overhaul before the holiday.
Oversight
Senator asks IRS to report on contractors’ unpaid taxes
Top Republican on Finance Committee wants figures on delinquent Medicare and Medicaid health care providers.
Oversight
IG will investigate whether department misused funds
Lawmaker wants probe into whether administration misused federal money when Education officials pushed schools to change how they make student loans.
Defense
Senators: Army needs better info about soldiers
After Pentagon briefing on Fort Hood shootings, chairman and ranking member of Homeland Security panel conclude Army needs to upgrade its personnel policies.
Oversight
Watchdog urges Postal Service managers to support cost-cutting initiative
Without better leadership, USPS won’t reap the full benefits of a program to avoid giving injured employees busy work, GAO says.
Defense
Fight over tanker pact puts two nominations in limbo
Alabama senator is blocking the nominations of Erin Conaton as the Air Force's No. 2 civilian leader and Frank Kendall as Defense acquisition and technology chief.
Oversight
Real Slippage
The president’s approval ratings have moved down a notch or two in recent weeks.
Oversight
Groups claim data on federal employees’ salaries is misleading
News analysis indicates that the number of government workers earning more than six figures has spiked during the last two years.
Defense