Stimulus

Under fire, Social Security chief vows ‘top-to-bottom’ review of payment clawbacks

House members faulted the agency for issuing billions of dollars of payments in error and then, often much later, demanding that beneficiaries pay the money back.

  • David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, KFF Health News

COVID relief payments triggered feds to demand money back from Social Security recipients

House and Senate members have called for action on problems at the Social Security Administration.

  • David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, KFF Health News

Lawmakers Push to Extend Deadline for Alaska Native Corporations to Spend COVID-19 Relief Funds

The Supreme Court ruled in June that these corporations are in fact eligible for the money, but now they are racing to spend it ahead of a December 31 deadline.

  • Courtney Bublé

Watchdog: HHS Should Update Congress on COVID-19 Spending Time Frames

GAO offers 15 new recommendations for improving the federal government’s pandemic response. 

  • Courtney Bublé

How to Maximize Nonprofit Impact with the American Rescue Plan

By engaging in effective decision-making and budgeting, organizations can provide services they know work, fix those that don’t and improve the relationship between funding and impact.

  • Adam Luecking

Justice Department Launches New COVID-19 Fraud Task Force

President Biden has been encouraging strong oversight of relief funds. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Pandemic IG: ‘This Office Was Almost Set Up To Fail And Yet We're Succeeding’

Brian Miller reflects on a year of coronavirus oversight. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Watchdog Alleges ‘Turf Battles’ Over Pandemic Oversight 

The pandemic inspector general asked the Justice Department for a legal opinion after getting “resistance” from other agencies. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Biden Proposes $28B to Revamp Federal Buildings, More for Electrified Federal Fleet

The $2 trillion infrastructure proposal includes reshaping how federal buildings are funded and a new directive for the Postal Service.

  • Eric Katz

President Biden: COVID Relief Needs ‘Fastidious Oversight’

The American Rescue Plan is the latest in the federal government’s historic pandemic spending. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Democrats Reintroduce Bill to Protect Employees Who Blow the Whistle on COVID Funds Misuse

Congress is working on the next massive relief package.

  • Courtney Bublé

SBA Relaunches COVID Loan Program As Watchdog Warns About Possible Fraud 

The recent COVID relief package included funding for a third round of the program, which has come under much scrutiny. 

  • Courtney Bublé

IRS is Ready to Distribute Stimulus Checks if Trump Approves Bill

President Trump threw lawmakers for a loop after he blasted a pandemic relief spending package as insufficient. The outcome is uncertain.

  • Courtney Bublé
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Contracting Groups Welcome Extension of Leave Provision in COVID Deal 

Language enacted in the CARES Act allowing agencies to give contractors sick or paid leave during the pandemic if they cannot access their worksites was extended until March 31, 2021.

  • Courtney Bublé

Watchdog: OMB Should Issue Guidance About Improper Payments With COVID Relief Funds

The full extent of the issue is not fully known yet, but there could be a “substantial” sum in mistaken payments, said the Government Accountability Office.

  • Courtney Bublé

Oversight In 'Extraordinary Times': A Q&A With the Executive Overseeing Pandemic Spending

Robert Westbrooks explains how the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee is keeping tabs on historic levels of emergency spending.

  • Courtney Bublé

Senate GOP’s Coronavirus Relief Package Would Fund Controversial Plan to Rebuild FBI Headquarters in D.C.

The Trump administration in 2017 scrapped a decade-long plan to reconstruct the facility in the Washington suburbs. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Advocacy Groups Press Congress to Support Pandemic Whistleblower Protection Legislation 

This comes as Congress is working on the next massive coronavirus relief package. 

  • Courtney Bublé

Inspector General for 2008 Economic Recovery Program Offers Lessons for Pandemic Oversight

“We'll do whatever we can to help [the special IG for pandemic recovery] be successful,” says Christy Goldsmith Romero in an interview with Government Executive.

  • Courtney Bublé

Labor Dept IG Steps Down Following Pandemic Relief Fund Fraud Warning

“This decision has been long in the works and is for entirely personal reasons. I have not been told or asked to resign,” Scott Dahl said.

  • Courtney Bublé

Senate Confirms Brian Miller to Be Pandemic Inspector General

The Senate voted 51-40 in favor of putting the White House lawyer and former GSA watchdog in charge of ensuring relief funds are not misspent.

  • Courtney Bublé