Oversight
NASA’s role revisited at 50-year mark
Former employee says the agency should look at novel ways to fund its activities and involve the public.
Defense
Legislators explore gray areas in security contractor oversight
Panel members question Blackwater executive's claim that companies already are covered under a variety of statutes.
Oversight
Watchdog criticizes State Department foreign aid staffing
Training is inconsistent, data to track aid workers is inadequate, and some employees are overstretched, GAO says.
Oversight
Labor-HHS spending bill might be next in clash with White House
Tactic assumes the bill is a political winner, even if Democrats lack the votes to override a veto.
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