We’re hearing this morning that President-elect Barack Obama has settled on a handful of appointments for key positions handling energy and environmental issues. Among the likely picks: Steven Chu, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, to serve as secretary of the Energy Department. Lisa Jackson, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Carol Browner, former EPA administrator during the Clinton administration, to serve in a new White House position coordinating energy and climate control initiatives across goverment. Nancy Sutley, deputy mayor for energy and environment in Los Angeles, to head the White…
Monthly Archives: December, 2008
Samuel Heyman, the founder of the Partnership for Public Service, received the Presidential Citizens Medal in a White House ceremony today. Heyman founded the nonprofit in 2001 to try to improve the federal government and promote it as a good place to work as the Baby Boomer generation prepares to retire. The citation Bush awarded Heyman reads: As a lawyer, public servant and philanthropist, Samuel Heyman has acted on his steadfast devotion to our nation. By encouraging young leaders to answer the call of public service, he has helped promote a vibrant federal work force. The United States honors Samuel…
The Center for Public Integrity thinks so. It published a new report today citing what it says are more than 125 systemic federal government failures during the Bush administration. The stories highlighted in the report have been well publicized. Among them: The failure of the government to regulate Wall Street. FEMA’s failure to assist state and local governments following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Several aspects of the execution of the Iraq War and Global War on Terror, such as intelligence gathering, detainee torture, caring for vets and managing contracts. Cronyism at the Minerals Management Service, Justice Department, HUD and…
The Homeland Security Department’s inspector general, Richard Skinner, is worried that the stalled economy and ballooning budget deficit will prompt the next Congress to shift money away from the department’s management functions. So many of these programs are just starting to get traction. But they’re still woefully underfunded… we still need to invest in these management support functions. The biggest “traction,” Skinner said, is in financial management: The Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency should be able to offer clean audits by the end of fiscal 2009 (Skinner acknowledged that “it should have been done a year…
Wondering how the next Congress is going to approach acquisition issues? Answer: More oversight. That’s what Cathy Garman, a professional staff member for the House Armed Services Committee, said today at a panel discussion hosted by Venable, a Washington, D.C. law firm. The discussion centered on the acquisition management priorities of the next Congress and the next administration. Garman noted that Congress approved several changes to procurement regulations and procedures through the Defense authorization bills in recent years. The 111th Congress is going to make sure those changes have been enacted. Among the congressionally mandated changes topping the oversight list:…
Pining to know what the Environmental Protection Agency is up to while you’re away from your desk? Well, the agency has a solution for you: A Web site tailored specifically for cell phone users, m.epa.gov. This pared-down, text-only site will let the mobile user access agency contact information, find environmental information by ZIP code, read news releases and access the agency’s blog Greenversations. The agency said in a news release that it plans to add more features later. EPA is the latest agency to launch a site that’s easy to load and view on mobile devices. You can find a…
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is holding a hearing on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — specifically, why they got so involved in the subprime mortgage market. The hearing itself isn’t terribly interesting, but the committee released some fascinating documents. They include a June 2005 internal report (pdf) produced at Fannie Mae that chronicles Fannie’s first forays into subprime mortgages. The report advises Fannie to “pursue ‘underground’ efforts to develop a subprime infrastructure”: If we do not seriously invest in these “underground” type efforts and the market changes prove to be secular, we risk becoming a niche player;…
Elise mentioned last week that procurement reform is a top priority for Defense secretary Robert Gates. Gates expands on that idea in a lengthy article on defense strategy in the January/February issue of Foreign Affairs. He notes that “resources are not unlimited,” and argues that current procurement focuses on buying smaller amounts of more and more expensive military equipment. The Defense Department has to consider whether in situations in which the United States has total air dominance, it makes sense to employ lower-cost, lower-tech aircraft that can be employed in large quantities and used by U.S. partners. This is already…
The open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program is being extended through the end of January due to a dustup over billing for out-of-network surgeries. Previously, participants would have had to make their choice by the end of today. But what about people who made a choice before learning of Blue Cross Blue Shield’s controversial billing system, and now want to change their plan? Are they out of luck? Don’t worry, said Michael Orenstein of the Office of Personnel Management. Even if you’ve already chosen a plan, you can change your mind as many times as you want…
Federal building managers already are buzzing over President-elect Barack Obama’s plan, announced in his weekend radio address, to make public buildings more energy efficient. Obama said he would launch a “massive effort” to upgrade federal buildings with new heating systems and more efficient light bulbs to help jumpstart the economy. Additional details will be released in coming weeks, with the hope that Congress will pass the plan immediately after reconvening in January. Agencies already are under intense pressure to meet existing energy reduction mandates, so the announcement that more requirements are forthcoming was a “curveball,” said Mark Ewing, who manages energy consumption…