Federal Contract News
Selling excess property may not yield expected cash
The Obama administration and some lawmakers have pointed to one untapped source of revenue for the government: excess federal properties, which they say could net $15 billion in savings and sale revenue combined.
Categories: Federal Contract News
GAO: Outdated technology slows OPM retirement process
Here is how complicated the federal government's process for calculating new retiree pensions has become. The Office of Personnel Management has more than 80 different systems , some of which are so old they run on antiquated COBOL programming language. Those 80 systems have to talk to 400 other personnel and financial systems scattered throughout the rest of the government.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Revised military pension rules benefit top-level officers
A change in federal law to keep experienced officers in uniform allows top generals and admirals to make more in retirement than they did on active duty, Pentagon and congressional records show.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Senators propose civilian pay freeze through 2014
A handful of Republican senators introduced a plan Thursday that would delay Defense Department spending cuts required under sequestration by extending the current pay freeze for civilian employees through June 2014 and cutting the federal workforce by 5 percent.
Categories: Federal Contract News
New DoD programs aim to reduce energy use on battlefield
The Defense Department plans to spend $18 million to fund six programs aimed at reducing energy use in combat zones.
Categories: Federal Contract News
House members introduce flood of small-business legislation
Insourcing, agency advocates, budget cuts, raised contracting goal: The legislation continues to pour out of the House. But will it go anywhere?
Categories: Federal Contract News
Grassley demands answers from FDA on email surveillance
Sen. Charles Grassley, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is demanding answers from the Food and Drug Administration about allegations that it monitored the email of employees who were whistle-blowers.
Categories: Federal Contract News
GSA revises plan for Coast Guard headquarters due to budget cuts
The General Services Administration will be cutting even more corners to finish the new Coast Guard headquarters on time, according to a spending plan sent to Congress Jan. 27.
Categories: Federal Contract News
McKeon on potential BRAC request: 'Kill it'
Rep. Buck McKeon, Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, did not mince words when asked what he would do to a Pentagon request for domestic base closures.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Bill to fund federal transportation program unveiled in House
House Transportation Committee leaders Tuesday unveiled a $260 billion bill to fund federal transportation programs. Committee Chairman John Mica, R-Fla., said the five-year transportation authorization bill will create jobs and reduce reliance on imported energy.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Administration to push bill for fast-track reorganization authority
The Obama administration will send a bill to Congress in the next couple of weeks that seeks "fast-track" authority to reorganize federal agencies.
Categories: Federal Contract News
FDA whistle-blowers' lawsuit raises questions about email surveillance
Whistle-blower advocates are lauding a new federal lawsuit that seeks to ban all federal agencies from targeting whistleblowers with selected electronic surveillance and monitoring.
Categories: Federal Contract News
AF mortuary whistle-blowers retaliated against, Special Counsel finds
The Air Force improperly retaliated against four civilian employees at Dover Air Force Base, Del., for revealing the mishandling of remains at the military mortuary there, according to an Office of Special Counsel report.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Bill would have feds feel the bite of missed contracting goals
Government officials would suffer if their agency comes up short on a small-business goal, under proposed legislation.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Feds earn 16% more than private sector, nonpartisan report shows
Federal employees overall receive 16 percent higher pay and benefits than they would in the private sector, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Monday.
Categories: Federal Contract News
House to vote Wednesday on bill to extend pay freeze for a third year
A bill that would freeze pay scales one more year will come up for a full House vote on Wednesday.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Pentagon punts on major program cuts
The Defense Department's fiscal 2013 budget plan to cut $259 billion from spending over the next five years is unlikely to damage America's defense industrial base largely because it sidesteps major program cuts in a presidential election year, according to analysts.
Categories: Federal Contract News
News Digest: Jan. 30
Rep. Dennis Ross, R-Fla., who chairs the House panel responsible for federal pay and benefits, says he eventually wants to get rid of a defined benefit pension for federal employees.
Categories: Federal Contract News
Bipartisan strategy takes shape to close overseas bases
At a time when bipartisanship on Capitol Hill has essentially disappeared, an intriguing example of cross-party consensus has emerged in a relatively obscure area of foreign policy: closing overseas military bases.
Categories: Federal Contract News
DHS promises contracting improvements, including electronic bidding
Department of Homeland Security contractors will soon be able to submit all bids electronically , most are submitted on paper now , in one of the improvements department officials promised Thursday at DHS Industry Day in Washington.
Categories: Federal Contract News
