Oversight

Senate moves up final healthcare overhaul vote

Bill is on track for final passage Thursday.

Oversight

Defense measure aims to improve contractors’ handling of sexual assault cases

Amendment forbids the Pentagon from doing business with companies that prevent alleged assault victims from taking legal action.

Oversight

Change of Fortunes

The Democrats’ hold on the House and Senate appears a lot more tenuous than it did one year ago.

Oversight

Obama set to name cyber coordinator

White House confirms appointment of former Bush administration official Howard Schmidt, assures "regular access to the president."

Oversight

Senate vote sets up health overhaul passage

Democrats hope to get bill to Obama before State of the Union in late January.

Oversight

Agencies identify $19 billion in contract savings

OMB says plans show government is on track to meet President Obama’s mandate to cut $40 billion by fiscal 2011.

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.