Oversight
Whining Won’t Help
Criticism that National Republican Congressional Committee leaders are too optimistic and not aggressive enough may be misplaced.
Oversight
Union urges Congress to address staff shortages at prisons
Budget and staffing issues have put the security of federal correctional officers at risk, labor officials say.
Oversight
White House threatens to veto bill on IG independence
Measure contains language that would infringe on the president’s responsibility to supervise the executive branch officers, administration argues.
Oversight
Pending procurement reform provisions concern industry
Contractor representatives say certain legislative language could make doing business with government burdensome.
Defense
Panel criticizes State Department for failure to rein in Blackwater
House committee says Blackwater has reported more shooting incidents than two other protective services contractors combined.
Oversight
Dems lay groundwork for challenging Bush over vetoes
Senate majority leader says he intends to send President Bush three spending bills in the coming weeks and “see what he does with them.”
Oversight
Blackwater executive to testify before House panel
Oversight hearing will focus on the role of private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Defense
Critics not satisfied by naming of Pentagon management chief
Proponents of the position say it needs to be occupied by an official who can give it his or her full attention.
Defense
Steady funding, staffing urged for executive boards
Groups can play a key role in crisis, but support and expectations need to be clear, panelists say at hearing.
Defense
'Buy American' dispute stalls delivery of 1,000 military trucks
Champion of restrictions says the Army is not interpreting new limits on metals from foreign suppliers correctly, and could get a temporary waiver.
Defense
Bill unveiled to address ‘nightmare’ of Iraqi refugees
Legislation would require the Homeland Security and State departments to expedite processing and streamline screening.
Oversight
Panelists say bias a barrier for minority-owned contractors
A lack of accountability, contract bundling and preferences for Alaska native firms are also cited as obstacles facing small companies seeking federal work.
Defense
House Dems weigh delay for extra war funding
Democrats are frustrated by impasse on overall spending levels for fiscal 2008, and the lack of specificity in the White House’s amended war budget.
Oversight
Talks under way on hearing for attorney general nominee
Despite uncertainty over whether a senator’s concerns will be addressed, there appears to be a growing expectation that the nomination will be considered.
Defense
House passes stopgap funding bill to keep agencies open
Maneuvering for language condemning recent ad by anti-war group comes amid partisan rhetoric over slow progress on annual spending bills.
Oversight
Arbitrator rules for union in dispute with IRS
Management rights don’t outweigh the need to bargain, arbitrator finds.
Oversight
FDA official says agency needs more policing power
Position differs from that in proposal from presidential advisory group, which stayed within the framework of the agency’s current resources and authorities.
Defense
State Department accused of stonewalling congressional panel
Agency is hindering investigations into corruption in Iraq and the controversial security firm Blackwater USA, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., says.
Oversight
Senate Dems seek probe of wartime contracting
Bipartisan commission would be charged with reviewing nearly all contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Defense