Defense
Conferees authorize increase in troops for Army, Marines
Defense authorization bill also includes 3.5 percent pay raise for military service personnel.
Defense
Homeland Security spending bill bogged down by disputes
Debate on a variety of unrelated issues, from hurricane relief to highway spending, holds up passage of appropriations measure.
News
Union says prison cutbacks could put Martha Stewart at risk
American Federation of Government Employees says domestic diva’s incarceration shines unfavorable light on staff cutbacks at federal prisons.
Defense
Judge criticizes Justice Department leaks in anthrax investigation
Accuses leakers of "undermining what this country is supposed to be about."
Management
MSPB judge upholds firing of Park Police chief
Lawyers for Teresa Chambers vow to appeal decision, saying her First Amendment rigths were violated.
Management
Appropriations panels rap USDA management
House, Senate committees limit spending inititatives, criticize department's budget submission.
Defense
Turf-conscious senators resist expansion of Governmental Affairs
Powerful committee chairman defeat attempts to transfer some of their oversight and appropriations duties to retooled panel.
Tech
Agencies expand smart-card programs
Millions of the credit card-sized devices will be distributed in the next few years.
Management
Senate plan to reshape Governmental Affairs panel gets mixed reception
Name change to “Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs” a vote of confidence in committee, but could dilute focus on governmentwide management issues.
Defense
Justice unit trains first responders at former Army base
Center for Domestic Preparedness has trained more than 200,000 local officials in programs accelerated after 9/11.
Defense
House-Senate conferees quash effort to delay base closures
Conference committee members also reach an 11th hour deal on language preventing the Air Force from leasing Boeing refueling tankers.
Pay & Benefits
House votes to grant agencies hiring, pay flexibility
Bill allows larger bonuses and compensatory time off for time spent on official travel.
Defense
Pentagon security agency not told of potential attacks before 9/11
Attack survivors believe that better planning might have prevented deaths, destruction.
Defense
Air Force general withdraws nomination to head Pacific Command
Senate panel was interested in Gen. Gregory Martin's e-mails related to controversial Air Force tanker lease deal.
Defense
Senate passes intelligence overhaul bill; House prepares for debate
Sens. Collins, Lieberman, beat back efforts to weaken role of national intelligence director.
Pay & Benefits
The Reformation
Will performance pay and other personnel reforms spread to the rest of the government? No one really is sure.
Management
Civil rights group decries shortfall in EEOC funding
Task force of NAACP urges Congress to grant agency’s full budget request for fiscal 2005.
Management
‘No Child Left Behind’ implementation is numbers game
The Bush administration’s education overhaul law presents states and school districts with mathematics challenges of their own.
Defense