Route Fifty
White House Hasn’t Ruled Out Cutting the Muni Bond Tax Exemption
“They didn’t say if it was gonna go away or not… It’s just on the table.”
Pay & Benefits
Lawmaker Asks CBO to Respond to Critics of Federal Pay Report
Oversight Committee seeks to settle entrenched arguments over public, private sector benefits comparisons.
Nextgov
DHS Lags on Some FITARA Benchmarks
In all three cases, DHS said it had achieved the milestone, but GAO’s review found otherwise.
Management
Freeing Technology From the Pace of Bureaucracy
Machines and software can improve how well our democracy works for its citizens—but only with human-guided efforts.
Nextgov
McAfee VP: Cyber Executive Order Could Signal Windfall for Contractors
The order, and other recent bills, could mean more investments in private-sector cyber services, according to Candace Worley, McAfee’s chief technical strategist.
Management
House Democrats Promise Shutdown if Congress Pursues Trump’s Budget
Dems say White House is "setting the stage" for an appropriations lapse.
Nextgov
Lawmakers To Trump: Without A Science Adviser, You'll Keep Falling For Fake News
Democrats urged the president to hire a qualified OSTP director to help sort fact from alt-fact.
Nextgov
White House Adviser Wants to Move Cyber Risk Decisions Up the Chain
Cybersecurity Coordinator Rob Joyce also urged members of an advisory board to help the government combat botnets.
Management
Mueller Pick Meets a Rare Bipartisan Consensus
Democrats and Republicans each had reasons to praise the appointment of the former FBI director to lead the investigation into the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia.
Management
Should the Government Guarantee Everyone a Job?
An old idea for preventing poverty and fighting recessions is gaining traction once again.
Defense
Did Trump Know Flynn Was Under FBI Investigation When He Appointed Him?
According to "The New York Times," the former national-security adviser informed the presidential transition on January 4 that his undisclosed lobbying for Turkey was under scrutiny.
Oversight
As Mueller Takes Over Trump Probe, GOP Leaders Hold Their Fire
Top Republicans are wary of undermining the president—and his legislative agenda.
Management
How Many Times Did Trump's Campaign Contact Russia?
Reuters is reporting 18 new contacts between April and November 2016—when the presidential race was in full swing.
Oversight
Play of the Day: Robert Mueller Gets Pulled Back In
The former FBI chief will be the Special Prosecutor on Russia.
Oversight
Robert Mueller Will Serve As Special Prosecutor on Russia
The former FBI director will take over the investigation of any coordination between President Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Nextgov
Bill Aims to Clarify When and How the Government Discloses Software Vulnerabilities
The Protecting our Ability To Counter Hacking, or PATCH, Act, is an effort to balance “national security and general cybersecurity,” said a senator.
Management
Support Grows for Bills to Boost VA Firing, Restrict Its Unions
House panel approves official time reform while Senate hears feedback on firing workers constitutionally.
Pay & Benefits