Oversight

Election Commission Needs More Authority In Face of 2020 Threats, Report Finds

“The federal government regulates colored pencils . . . more strictly than it does America’s election infrastructure,” the nonpartisan Brennan Center notes.

Oversight

McConnell Asked White House For Sanctions Position, Dem Senator Says

The Senate majority leader is weighing the myriad sanctions proposals on the Hill, Sen. Van Hollen said at the Defense One Outlook 2020 conference. 

Oversight

IG Warns of 'Ruinous' Relationship With EPA Over Failures to Cooperate

EPA chief of staff told investigators "Do not contact me further" unless they agreed to provide advance notice of the information sought, counter to investigative practice.

Oversight

Agencies Are Relying More on Alternatives to Contractor Suspension and Debarment

Annual report shows that exclusions from doing business with the government have decreased in recent years, yet are still up from 2009.

Oversight

What’s at Stake If Sen. Rand Paul Names the Ukraine Whistleblower

While there might not be legal implications, the move could hurt national security and have a chilling effect on future whistleblowers. 

Oversight

GovExec Wins Eddie Award for 2018 Immigration Crackdown Series

The stories documented the Homeland Security Department’s struggle to hire thousands of new border security personnel.

Oversight

Election Oversight Agencies Struggle With Vacancies and Infighting

Commissions responsible for ensuring secure and fair elections are plagued with internal problems.

Oversight

Viewpoint: The EPA Disbanded Our Clean Air Science Panel. We Met Anyway – and Found that Particle Pollution Regulations Aren’t Protecting Public Health

Scientists who were appointed to advise the EPA on air pollution kept meeting independently after the agency dissolved their panel. They say current regulations aren't strict enough.

Oversight

Senate Panel Tackles Unauthorized Appropriations, or ‘Zombie Payments’

Unauthorized payments accounted for 23% of the discretionary budget in 2019, compared to 10% in the early 1990s.

Oversight

Watchdog: Better Information-Sharing Could Help Address Spike in College Hate Crimes

The Justice Department must keep its resources updated and raise awareness of them, GAO finds. 

Oversight

After Scathing Report, VA Faces Criticism for Not Improving Whistleblower Protection Office More Quickly

"I cannot in good faith direct them to your office," a top lawmaker tells the head of VA's whistleblower office.

Oversight

AFGE President Takes Leave Amid Harassment Allegations

The largest federal employee union will conduct an internal investigation into J. David Cox’s conduct after 10 current and former union employees told Bloomberg News of unwanted advances and inappropriate comments.

Oversight

IGs Unite Against Justice Legal Opinion That Ukraine Whistleblower Complaint Wasn’t an ‘Urgent Concern’

IG council says the opinion could have a “chilling effect” on future whistleblowers, asks Justice to reconsider. 

Oversight

Analysis: The Political Funeral in the Age of Trump

Representative Elijah Cummings’s service showed how the president has even changed how his rivals are mourned.