Tech
Senators criticize HHS over security of health data
Panel focuses on health IT privacy matters related to the Office of Personnel Management's benefits program for federal employees.
Management
Industry group urges flexibility in emergency contracting
Socio-economic preferences for federal contracts may need to be suspended, but should be preserved for small firms, task force suggests.
Defense
Intelligence analysis warns against rapid withdrawal from Iraq
Report doesn’t address surge plan, but says U.S. troops at current levels are an “essential stabilizing element.”
Defense
Defense secretary disputes CBO findings on troop numbers, costs
Report from budget office found that planned force increase would require up to 48,000 additional troops and cost up to $27 billion.
Defense
Estimated price tag of security measure causes stir
Budget office projects bill to implement unfulfilled 9/11 panel recommendations would cost $21 billion through 2012.
Tech
Spending bill highlights appropriators’ IT priorities
A few key IT projects receive line items in bill to keep agencies running through the rest of the fiscal year.
Defense
Spending bill trims $5 million more from DHS personnel system
Labor union official praises additional cuts and says the money would be better spent on new hires and training.
Management
Freshman Missouri senator sets out to tackle government waste
Sen. Claire McCaskill, a former state auditor, says her office will pay close attention to Government Accountability Office reports.
Management
Unfinished spending measure complicates release of fiscal 2008 budget
OMB official discusses complexities, says confrontations over the new budget may be more public with Democrats in control of Congress.
Defense
Iraq surge plan may require more than double the troops Bush cited
President did not factor in the number of support personnel that would be needed, budget office analysis finds.
Pay & Benefits
Supplementary Information
Answers to reader questions about last week’s column on the FERS supplementary benefit.
Defense
Defense develops tool to assess skills of acquisition workforce
System to compile information about individual and servicewide competencies is set to be deployed early this year.
Management
Agencies scrutinize more payments for mistakes
OMB embraces greater improper payment risks as sign of better analysis; almost all susceptible dollars to be assessed in fiscal 2008.
Defense