Defense

Troops not safe from sequestration

Exemption from cuts covers only service members' paychecks, not their health benefits.

Oversight

Senators jab FDA over lethal meningitis outbreak

More than 30 people have died and more than 400 were infected.

Oversight

White House holds back on sequester details

Agencies direct questions to OMB, which isn't divulging details.

Defense

Obesity a national security issue, experts agree

America's weight problems threaten future military strength, retired Navy rear admiral says.

Management

Obama sticks to same Medicare cost-savers

Overall HHS funding request up $7 billion from fiscal 2012.

Oversight

What kind of health insurance do the GOP candidates get?

Most of the GOP presidential hopefuls do not shop for health insurance in the individual market they have advocated for others.

Oversight

What's at stake if Congress fails this time?

Congress is threatening stalemate again, and this time the effect would be felt by millions of average Americans.

News

House votes to repeal contractor withholding tax

Legislation's Senate prospects remain uncertain.

Oversight

HHS drops controversial long-term care program

Staff at the CLASS office were reassigned last month.

News

National health program triples in size

Money from the health care law, the 2009 stimulus bill and fiscal 2011 dollars helped the loan-repayment and scholarship program grow.

Oversight

Lawmaker wants HHS to take closer look at doctor pay

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., wants to require the federal government to give Medicare reimbursement rates a closer look.

Defense

Gates, Clinton can't predict when U.S. role in Libya ends

Interviews leave many basic questions unanswered about the mission's duration, point and endgame.

Oversight

Short-term funding measures have agency budget officials finding ways to save

They have held off on filling some vacancies and slowed grants and contracts that require up-front funding.

Oversight

HHS regulations follow Obama waiver endorsement

Rules leave room for states to jigger the health care law's 'essential benefits' package.

Defense

Tragedy brings focus on mental health agencies

House is slated to vote on health care law this week, which includes mental health service expansion.

Oversight

HHS shifts new health insurance oversight office to CMS

Move could protect newly created office from Republican House appropriators who want to defund key parts of health reform law.

Oversight

Congress overhauls federal food safety efforts

Bill marks first effort to restructure oversight in more than 70 years.

Defense

Senate Republicans block 9/11 health bill

Vote effectively kills the measure, though Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has vowed to “pursue every possible route” to passage before the Senate leaves next week.

Oversight

Senate Republicans vow to block financial services spending bill

Lawmakers object to provision seeking to prevent brand-name and generic drug manufacturers from agreeing to settlements that essentially trade cash for promises that generic drug firms will not challenge brand-name drug patents for a set period of time.