Defense
Budget crunch could force fee hikes at immigration agency
Immigration reforms sought by administration could expand agency’s workload in 2010.
Oversight
Spending bills will top Senate agenda, likely through weekend
Senate will spend the weekend working through an omnibus appropriations bill and will return to the health debate next week.
Oversight
House approves federal pay raise; sends omnibus to Senate
The package includes six fiscal 2010 appropriations bills and a 2 percent pay raise for civilian employees.
Oversight
GAO finds confusion among recipients of stimulus transportation funds
Watchdog says state agencies used different methodologies to report jobs data.
Oversight
Senate majority leader offers a way to avoid weekend work on appropriations
Harry Reid, D-Nev., wants to move off healthcare reform early next week and take up the nearly $450 billion fiscal 2010 spending package.
Defense
President requests review of policy on condolence letters
Families of service members who commit suicide are lobbying the White House to overturn a policy preventing the president from sending them condolence letters.
Oversight
Obama creates labor-management council
The executive order does not include expanded bargaining power favored by unions.
Defense
Expanding mission of State’s Diplomatic Security Bureau concerns lawmakers, GAO
With bigger role and more dangerous posts, security service struggles to balance reliance on contractors.
Oversight
Panel unveils deficit commission bill
Legislation would establish an 18-member bipartisan commission to make recommendations to Congress on how to cut the deficit.
Defense
Commander says surge can be done quickly
Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb says the military successfully moved almost the same number of personnel into the country this year.
Oversight
Conferees approve first part of year-end spending package
Omnibus contains six unfinished appropriations bills; second measure will address Defense spending.
Oversight
Open government directive sets tight deadlines
Agencies must deliver on several initiatives in key Obama administration effort.
Oversight
SBA braces for flood of feedback on 8(a) rule changes
About 200 people are expected to attend Washington meetings on a proposal that would change requirements for Alaska native firms and others.
Oversight
Indian trust fund lawsuit settlement proposed
Deal would set up a $2 billion fund to consolidate tribal and individual lands which may have hundreds of owners with fractional ownership interests.
Oversight
GOP senators: $7 billion wasted in stimulus
Sen. John McCain blames insufficient provisions for oversight, cost control and competition.
Oversight
House may move soon on first of two omnibus measures
Package is expected to be attached to Transportation-HUD spending legislation and to include five other non-defense appropriations bills.
Oversight
Proposal to beef up OPM role in health care met with skepticism
Some fear that expanding agency’s portfolio could adversely affect federal employees’ coverage.
Defense
Marines will be first to deploy to Afghanistan
Approximately 1,500 Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C., will deploy in December.
Oversight