Get Ready for a Lot More Information on Government Performance
Dec 23, 2010 by Gavin Baker
The Government Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Performance Improvement Act, now awaiting President Obama's signature, will significantly expand the amount of information available to the public about government performance.
read in fullCongress Once Again Punts on FY 2011 Budget
Dec 23, 2010 by Sam Rosen-Amy
Surprising almost no one, on Tuesday Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution (CR), funding government for another few months and delaying passing a budget for the 2011 fiscal year. Over the past week or two, it became obvious that Democrats did not have enough votes to pass a year-long budget of some kind, either as a CR or as an omnibus.
read in fullContractors Do Bad Things, Uncle Sam Has to Sit on His Hands
Dec 21, 2010 by Gary Therkildsen*
A batch of documents recently obtained by the Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request exposes "previously undisclosed offenses committed by more than 200 contract employees in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2004 and 2008." Many of these offenses were quite egregious, and yet it was often only the employee disciplined, while the government let the offending company off the hook. A recent New York Times article reveals why: many of these companies are too big to ban.
read in fullScience Package Addresses Access to Federally-Funded Research, Scientific Collections
Dec 21, 2010 by Gavin Baker
The House today approved the Senate's amendments to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act (HR 5116). The bill now heads to President Obama for his signature. Among a variety of science-related topics, the COMPETES reauthorization contains two provisions about public access to federal science.
read in fullFederal Employees: Doing More with Less...Already
Dec 21, 2010 by Craig Jennings
President Obama has proposed freezing salaries of most federal employees for the next two years as part of his effort to address the federal budget deficit. Projected to save some $5 billion over the next two years, the freeze would shave 0.22 percent off the $2.3 trillion in deficit spending over that time, making it a largely token measure.
read in fullBig Helping of Parliamentary Trickery Keeps Food Safety Bill Alive
Dec 20, 2010 by Matthew Madia
The U.S. Senate approved, for the second time, a bill to overhaul the food safety system in the U.S. by expanding the powers of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Late Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid struck a deal with both Republicans and House leaders, dodging a filibuster and allowing the bill to pass through a parliamentary maneuver. The bill was approved by voice vote.
read in fullEPA Analysis Shines New Light on Toxic Pollution
Dec 20, 2010 by Brian Turnbaugh*
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released an expanded and enhanced "National Analysis" of the 2009 Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data. The National Analysis examines trends in toxic pollution and waste generation from thousands of facilities nationwide. This year, EPA has added several new features and new analyses that help the public track pollution and identify the biggest polluting companies. The improved National Analysis is another positive step in a series of actions EPA has taken to strengthen the TRI program.
read in fullObama's Regulatory Enforcement Shows That Government Can Play a Positive Role
Dec 20, 2010 by Matthew Madia
In its first two years, the Obama administration stepped up the enforcement of rules meant to protect the environment, workers, and consumers, according to a new OMB Watch report. This activity is a welcome development after years of regulatory negligence that likely played a part in the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history and the most fatal coal mine disaster in 40 years.
read in fullFederal Government's IT Reform Efforts Come Into Focus
Dec 17, 2010 by Gary Therkildsen*
Last month, OMB management guru Jeff Zients unveiled the Obama administration's five-part internet technology (IT) reform proposal during a talk before the Northern Virginia Tech Council. Highlighting the administration's achievements in IT reform thus far – including the launching of the IT Dashboard and a recently concluded review of federal financial system projects – Zients sketched out the five parts: introducing budget and acquisitions flexibility, strengthening program management, increasing accountability, increasing engagement with industry, and adopting light technologies.
read in fullWhite House’s Long-Awaited Scientific Integrity Plan Released
Dec 17, 2010 by Matthew Madia
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director John Holdren issued a memo to executive branch agencies today that could improve scientific integrity in the federal government. "The memo is a sign of relief for federal scientists who are unsure of their rights and whose work is too susceptible to manipulation," said Gary D. Bass, Executive Director of OMB Watch.
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