Oversight

Performance-based contracts found to be risky for industry

Research group says companies face higher bid and proposal costs and may have a harder time pleasing agencies.

Defense

Wildfires strain federal operations in Southern California

A shortage of personnel and a lack of information are hurdles to delivering assistance to federal employees and other affected Californians. Click here to view wildfire response photo gallery

Oversight

Report: Contracting workforce needs more training

Skills gaps are likely to be made worse by upcoming retirements, survey of competencies indicates.

Oversight

Administration touts progress in managing tech investments

Number of projects on list reflecting planning weaknesses has decreased 61 percent in the past seven months.

Defense

Bush war request quickly figures into spending fracas

Democrats criticize the president for bringing this year’s war requests to almost $200 billion, while arguing an extra $20 billion for domestic priorities is unaffordable.

Oversight

Reconsidering Giuliani

The former New York mayor’s chances of winning the Republican presidential nomination appear better than they did at the outset.

Oversight

Oversight body looks into complaints against State IG

President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency is conducting an initial review of claims the IG interfered with investigations of contractor fraud and waste.

Oversight

House panel chair accuses Blackwater of tax evasion

Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., requests a host of documents on the security contractor’s business dealings, contract awards.

Oversight

State Department urged to improve evacuation training

Exercises involving officers posted overseas should take place more often and be more realistic, GAO says.

Defense

Forward Observer: Improvised Explosive Oversight

The chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is on a mission to expose government waste, fraud and abuse.

Oversight

Senate to vote on moving earmark money to kids' health

Amendment to withhold funding for pet projects until all eligible children under 18 are receiving health coverage aims to put senators on the spot.

Oversight

Panel backs bill to boost contract opportunities for veterans

Measure would place veterans who are small business owners at the top of the priority list for receiving federal contracts.

Oversight

Senate makes dent in Labor-HHS bill earmarks

Democrats want to complete a conference on the spending measure by the end of the month and send it to President Bush for an expected veto.

Oversight

Interagency contract use expected to decline

Large departments like Defense want to reduce their dependence on other agencies, top officials say.

Oversight

GSA issues strongly worded response to senator’s criticisms

Statement follows a speech in which Sen. Charles Grassley accused the agency’s chief of pressuring contract officers to renew a technology agreement under unfavorable terms.

Oversight

Lawmakers push labor-management partnerships

Bill would re-establish a council Bush dissolved in 2001, with the goal of helping front-line employees and managers work together more effectively.

Oversight

Senate backs provision to curb premium class travel abuse

Amendment would forbid federal employees from using appropriated funds for unjustified premium airline tickets.

Oversight

Employee advocates cite disparities in Hatch Act enforcement

Career civil servants face much harsher consequences for breaking the law than most political appointees, witnesses say.

Oversight

Senator renews attacks on GSA chief

Charles Grassley, ranking member of the Finance Committee, repeats charges that Lurita Doan improperly interfered with information technology contract.

Defense

Lawmakers express concern over DHS reliance on contractors

Watchdog agency concludes that Homeland Security does not take the necessary steps to prevent contractors in service roles from overstepping their bounds.