Defense
House Democrats, TSA at odds over cargo screening mandate
Agency says law only applies to air cargo being shipped from an airport inside the United States; lawmakers argue it also applies to foreign air carriers.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: Congress pushes DHS for national emergency communications plan
Department may have to delay state grants to make first responder communications interoperable.
Defense
Energy Department revises cost estimate for Yucca Mountain project
Nevada nuclear waste repository will come with a price tag of more than $90 billion.
Defense
House Homeland Security Committee's staff said to be in turmoil
A handful of senior aides have left in recent weeks; some staffers claim panel's oversight work is being eclisped by a focus on promoting contracting opportunities for small and minority-owned businesses.
Defense
ACLU urges action to 'fix' growing terrorist watch list
Group charges that list now has over 1 million names, including members of Congress.
Defense
McCain, Obama share some views on security
Both want more troops on the ground and both reject many of President Bush's policies; differences emerge on nuclear weapons, defense spending and the priority placed on the war in Afghanistan.
Defense
Forward Observer: Invisible Wounds
Mississippi Democrat wants to do a better job of protecting troops from long-lasting brain trauma inflicted by bombs.
Defense
From Nextgov.com: DISA to offer on-demand computing environment in 2009
IT developers will be able to pay monthly for computing resources to test new software applications.
Defense
Shoddy standards blamed for electrocutions in Iraq
The Pentagon has acknowledged that 11 soldiers and two contractors have died in Iraq as a result of faulty wiring systems.
Defense
Grand jury probe of Iraq inspector general ends without indictment
Federal prosecutors had been investigating allegations by former office employees that Stuart Bowen and his deputy signed off on improper monitoring of employee e-mails.
Defense
Defense official says tanker deal may fall behind schedule
The goal is still to make an award by the end of the year, but protests or proposals to use a different aircraft could cause delays.
Defense
House panel basses bill aiding severely disabled veterans
Plan would prohibit the collection of co-payments from catastrophically disabled veterans.
Defense
Lawmaker assails Pentagon for inaction on contractors
Former Defense official says he personally saw one contractor submit $1 billion in overcharges to the Army.
Defense
Senate passes FISA bill after yearlong dispute
Legislation gives the administration long-sought spying powers and legal protections for telecom companies that have helped conduct electronic surveillance on U.S. residents without warrants.
Defense
Gates reopens competition for aerial refueling tanker contracts
Defense secretary says scope will be limited in hopes of making a new award by the end of the year.
Defense
Democrats: Medicare physician pay cuts could hurt Tricare
Tricare reimbursement rates are linked to those for Medicare, meaning the proposed 10.6 percent cut could affect service to soldiers and veterans.
Defense
Major Defense weapons systems not fully funded, GAO reports
Congress may have to reduce spending on other federal programs or accept less warfighting capability than promised.
Defense
House subpanel approves bill to help soldiers terminate service contracts
Bill gives service members financial protection if deployed for more than 90 days, or transferred to another base.
Defense
Legislation extends residency rights to military spouses
The bill amends a law that allows soldiers to keep one state of residency regardless of where military orders send them.
Defense