Features

To the Brink

How did the federal government come within an hour of shutting down?

Features

Whistling in the Dark

Congress expands protections for exposing corporate fraud, but government whistleblowers still wait.

Trends

Labor Fight Renewed

Republican lawmakers balk at deals that require union pay for contract workers.

News

GSA presses ahead in greening of federal buildings

Agency selects 16 emerging energy-efficient technologies to test and evaluate at government facilities.

Oversight

Administration set to order contractors to disclose campaign contributions

Proposed executive order would require contractors to list political spending to agency procurement officials.

News

Relying on continuing resolutions wasted billions, says Pentagon acquisition chief

Ashton Carter suggests Congress’s failure to pass permanent budget for first half of fiscal year proved costly for taxpayers.

Defense

Defense contract audits manager accused of unprofessional behavior

Supervisor in audit agency’s Texas field office is the latest in a string of alleged misconduct cases.

Oversight

Government implements new performance management law

Agencies have two weeks to pick a senior official to serve as chief operating officer.

Oversight

Office of Special Counsel finally has new leader

Senate confirms nomination of Carolyn Lerner to run scandal-tarnished whistleblower office; Borras for DHS.

Defense

Senator questions contractor compliance with Iran sanctions law

McCaskill calls on GAO to investigate whether contractors have business relationships with prohibited Iranian firms.

Oversight

Senate committee votes to streamline confirmation process

Roughly 200 presidential appointees would no longer require Senate confirmation under a bill that passed committee on Wednesday.

News

Recovery Act reporting becoming the norm

Only 366 recipient reports remain to be filed with the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.

Oversight

Legislation would reorganize Federal Acquisition Institute

Bipartisan bill has FAI reporting directly to the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.

Defense

Shutdown could spell trouble for contractors

Contracts not related to exempt activities or funded through annual appropriations could be halted.

News

Whistleblower protections get another chance in Senate

Virtually identical measure failed last year when a senator placed an anonymous hold.

News

Exclusive survey: Feds don’t know whether they'll be furloughed

Looming shutdown hits morale at agencies, with half rating it as "low" or "very low."

Pay & Benefits

Agencies told to begin furlough notifications

OMB has instructed agencies to begin notifying employees who would be furloughed if the government shuts down.

Pay & Benefits

No back pay for furloughed feds predicted

Rep. Jim Moran expects nonessential employees won't be reimbursed if agencies shut down.

News

Shutdown preparations begin

As deadline for a budget deal nears, OMB instructs agencies to begin discussing plans with senior managers.