Defense
Surge will include thousands of mine-resistant vehicles
Pentagon has already tapped Oshkosh Corp. to build 6,219 of the vehicles by April.
Oversight
House Dems consider two-part omnibus plan for endgame
Continuing resolution expires Dec. 18 and seven appropriations bills are pending.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: White House cyber coordinator should have budget authority, former officials say
The current decentralized budget process hinders the administration’s ability to develop and implement a governmentwide cyber strategy .
Oversight
Administration goes after noncompliant Recovery Act recipients
OMB chief orders agencies to identify and possibly punish entities that failed to report their spending.
Oversight
DHS still struggling with management
Annual IG audit finds limited progress on major management challenges.
Oversight
Bill would require agencies to recognize security clearances governmentwide
Bipartisan legislation is similar to 2008 executive order aimed at streamlining background checks on federal employees and contractors.
Defense
Speaker dislikes surtax to pay for war
Pelosi also says House members will seek more details on Obama's Afghanistan plan so they can "make some judgment about the nature of the threat."
Defense
Lawmaker hopes Northrop won't drop tanker bid
Decision to pull out would be a "blow to the program," Rep. John Murtha says.
Oversight
Administration officials defend science in wake of ‘climategate’
Pirated e-mails raise concerns about scientific integrity of data underlying energy policies.
Oversight
Contracts might not be getting enough credit for stimulus job creation
Private sector analysts find Recovery Act contracts helped generate 407,000 jobs to date; project 1 million more next year.
Oversight
From Nextgov.com: VA nixes troubled tech projects
The department ends or slashes funding for 15 IT projects as part of new accountability program.
Defense
Lawmakers eye Afghanistan withdrawal date, funding
Senate panel holds the first in a series of congressional hearings on Obama's decision to deploy 30,000 more troops.
Defense
Obama says Afghan surge will cost $30 billion in fiscal 2010
Debate begins over how the administration will come up with the money.
Defense
Northrop threatens to quit contest for tanker contract
Company's president says the Pentagon must significantly change the parameters of the competition for it to be worth participating.
Oversight
Panel presses FAA on pilot fatigue rules
Agency official calls process of updating regulations "a difficult and complicated effort."
Oversight
NASA scientist fined in procurement case
Mark Schoeberl, a former senior manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center, admitted directing contracts to a company owned by his wife.
Defense
GOP appropriator offers plan for funding Afghanistan troop increase
Rep. Jerry Lewis says Congress could free up $35 billion by limiting increases in five nondefense spending bills to 2 percent over fiscal 2009.
Oversight
Experts foresee need for fiscal 2010 Defense supplemental in spring
Influx of troops in Afghanistan could require tens of billions of dollars more than what has already been requested for this fiscal year.
Oversight