Update: Full story here. Starting Jan. 15, new contracts awarded by agencies were supposed to mandate that vendors verify the immigration status of their workers using the Homeland Security Department’s E-Verify system. But Federal Times has learned that the department has decided to postpone the implementation of that requirement until at least Feb. 20 due to a lawsuit filed by five industry groups. Lawrence Lorber, an attorney for the plaintiffs in the case, which includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, tells us that the government was responding to the plaintiffs request for a stay in the rule’s implementation. More to…
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President-elect Barack Obama just formally named Dennis Blair and Leon Panetta as his picks to be the next Director of National Intelligence and Director of Central Intelligence, respectively. The choice of Panetta has been especially controversial, since he has no experience inside the intelligence world. In his comments today, Obama said that Panetta, a former White House chief of staff and Office of Management and Budget director, was chosen for his management skills and to restore the CIA’s clout: He has handled intelligence daily at the very highest levels, and time and again he has demonstrated sound judgment, grace under fire…
Former Sen. Tom Daschle’s appearance before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today marked the first confirmation hearing for the slate of Senate confirmable nominees named by President-elect Barack Obama over the past two months. During the hearing, which marked Chairman Edward Kennedy’s return to Capitol Hill after treatment for a brain tumor, Daschle repeatedly emphasized his commitment to improving efficiency and innovating America’s health care system. Senators also challenged him to improve civil servants’ morale within HHS and to make the department more effective and accountable. Daschle spoke of the health crisis facing Native Americans, citing that…
That’s the word on the Hill and in today’s newspapers, and CNN has all but confirmed that its medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, will be President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for surgeon general. When word spread yesterday that Obama had discussed the position with Gupta, it led to a lot of head scratching and “really?” comments on the Hill. Though a distinguished Atlanta neurosurgeon and professor, Gupta is best known to most Americans as a prolific television commentator. However, he served as an adviser to the Clinton White House, helping craft health care speeches and policy for Hillary Clinton. According to…
President-elect Barack Obama wants to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp — but how? The Center for American Progress, the think tank run by John Podesta, Obama’s transition co-chair, held a panel this afternoon to discuss closing Guantanamo. The panel recommended a “hybrid” approach: release the prisoners who aren’t dangerous, and try the rest in U.S. courts. Obama hasn’t discussed how he will close the facility. But FedLine wonders how he will handle the complex logistics involved.
The reviews are in for ABC’s new reality show “Homeland Security USA,” and they are not kind. The “COPS”-like docudrama program, which follows real Border Patrol agents, Customs and Border Protection officers and transportation security officers at their jobs, is being called little more than a recruitment video for the Homeland Security Department. The New York Times said that the show doesn’t even touch on many issues challenging the department, such as mismanagement, privacy concerns, or corruption. Instead, “Homeland Security USA” shows Customs officers searching through a belly dancer’s skimpy outfits. Critics say the show’s substance-free exchanges, along with heart-tugging voice…
The Associated Press reported last week that the wife of Michael Griffin, the current NASA administrator, has been sending e-mails to friends and family asking them to sign an online petition urging President-elect Barack Obama to keep her husband on as administrator. Rebecca Griffin apparently sent the appeal entitled “Campaign for Mike†on Christmas Eve. According to AP, she told the recipients: Yes, once again I am embarrassing my husband by reaching out to our friends and ‘imposing’ on them…. And if this is inappropriate, I’m sorry.” It’s not clear why she’d start such a petition, particularly given the reportedly…
NASA released a report today detailing the last moments of the seven astronauts who died when the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon reentry in February 2003. The report, written by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, said that nothing could have been done to save the crew. But the board used lessons from the accident to make recommendations to NASA about how to improve to flight vehicles, equipment and training to increase the chances astronauts could survive a future accident.
A long-time career employee will run the government’s largest real estate provider, the General Services Administration announced Monday. Anthony Costa, the Public Buildings Service’s deputy commissioner and highest ranking career federal employee, took over on Sunday and will presumably serve as acting commissioner until the incoming Obama administration names its pick to lead PBS. As acting administrator, Costa will manage GSA’s building portfolio of 8,600 leased and owned federal facilities. He takes over from political appointee, David Winstead, who ran the service since Oct. 2005. Costa previously served as acting commissioner in the two months prior to Winstead’s 2005 appointment. Update:…
If you, like me, were off last week perfecting Grandma’s octopus recipe for one of the many holiday celebrations, here is a roundup of a few fascinating government reports that were released. Incase you missed it: The Government Accountability Office published an assessment of how the Homeland Security Department distributes grant dollars. It found that DHS’s three-step evaluation process that weighs the risk of terrorism and the effectiveness of the applicant’s proposals is a reasonable way to determine how to distribute funds. The Homeland Security Inspector General released a report about the acquisition work force at FEMA. While the agency has…