Oversight
Bipartisan Bill Would Make It Easier for the Public to See How Agencies Plan to Spend Their Budgets
House and Senate panels advanced the legislation last week.
Oversight
Watchdog: Poor Communication Left HHS Ill-Equipped to Handle Family Separation Policy
Leaders ignored warnings from career staff that would have helped them better care for an influx of children, IG found.
Oversight
New Bill Would Strengthen Protections for Whistleblowers Who Expose Classified Information
The legislation would make it so that a narrower group of people could be prosecuted for revealing such information.
Oversight
EPA Scientists Found a Toxic Chemical Damages Fetal Hearts. the Trump White House Rewrote Their Assessment.
An internal scientific evaluation of TCE obtained by Reveal shows detailed interference by the Executive Office of the President.
Oversight
IG Flags Food Safety Concerns at Federal Prisons
The Bureau of Prisons does not have a protocol to “ensure its food supply is safe and meets contractual requirements.”
Oversight
Experts Call for Reform of Vacancies Act Following Trump’s Intelligence Director Nomination
Acting DNIs can “risk our national security with extended unqualified leadership,” said one expert.
Oversight
Senate Democrats Call on Justice Dept. IG to Investigate Political Interference
Meddling by the Trump administration could “permanently damage the integrity and independence” of the department, they wrote.
Oversight
Bill Would Require Frequent Congressional Testimony from Acting Defense and National Security Officials
Trump administration's acting officials "limit congressional oversight of our national security," the measure's sponsor says.
Oversight
GovExec Daily: Margaret Weichert's Legacy
In its inaugural episode, GovExec's new podcast talks about the government career of the OMB and OPM official.
Oversight
Elections Agency Commissioner: ‘The Biggest Story at the FEC Is What’s Not Happening’
Agency received a funding increase in Trump’s 2021 budget request, but that won’t matter unless commission regains a quorum.
Oversight
Democratic Candidates Defend Their Records on Transparency During Nevada Primary Debate
Presidential contenders who have criticized Trump for his secrecy were forced to explain their own actions.
Oversight
Watchdog: EPA Needs to Improve Management of Environmental Program Along the U.S.-Mexico Border
Documentation of progress was “frequently unreliable” and program information was “neither transparent nor accessible,” said the report.
Oversight
Lawmakers Threaten Subpoena for Disciplinary Info on Border Agents Posting Racist Facebook Messages
Committee accuses Customs and Border Protection of "stonewalling" after reports it bypassed punishment for most employees involved.
Oversight
President Pardons Ex-GSA, OMB Official
David Safavian served nearly a year in prison for lying about his interactions with lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Oversight
Whistleblower Advocates Praise Pick to Lead New House Ombudsman Office
The office will train congressional staffers on handling disclosures of potential waste, fraud and abuse.
Oversight
John Kelly Finally Lets Loose on Trump
The former chief of staff explained, in the clearest terms yet, his misgivings about Trump’s behavior regarding North Korea, immigration, and Ukraine.
Oversight
Committee Votes for Subpoena Authority Over Interior's Employee Relocations, Other Documents
"We’re not here as potted plants to be watered when the administration decides it’s time," panel chairman says.
Oversight
Why So Many Architects Are Angered by ‘Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again’
Federal building guidelines say that "development of an official style must be avoided" – which is exactly what a leaked executive order is trying to do.
Oversight
How Trump Boxed the EPA Out of a Major Climate Regulation Rollback
The Trump administration’s attempt to kill one of America’s strongest climate policies has been a complete debacle.
Oversight