The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear federal benefits payments will be made by direct deposit by 2013. The Washington Post reports that the Treasury Department will announce today that is will be eliminating about 136 million paper checks sent by the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board and Office of Personnel Management. The switch is part of a broader plan to shift away from paper-based payments and transactions. Businesses will also move to electronic tax payments. The plans should save taxpayers about $400 million in processing, postage and paper costs in the first five years. Americans who enroll on or after March 1, 2011, for benefits payments will receive them by direct deposit or be enrolled in the government’s Direct Express Debit MasterCard program.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is launching a new comprehensive review of all their policies. The agency is inviting outside stakeholders to identify their highest priorities for the Policy Review through a two-week survey. USCIS surveyed its workforce earlier this month. Now, they are asking stakeholders to take part in the same survey. It is available on-line at usis.gov through April 29. A summary of the results will be published later this spring.
The Defense Department will now compete a $1.6 billion police training contract in Afghanistan. The Government Accountability Office blocked an effort by the Army to piggyback the work onto an existing counter-narcotics technology contract. David Sedney, Deputy assistant secretary for Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia, told the Senate Homeland Security Contracting Subcommittee that the department is moving toward a new contract. Gov Exec reports that DynCorp International of Falls Church now trains and mentors police for the State Department in Afghanistan and Iraq. Sedney said that it is likely that DynCorp’s contract will be prolonged until a new competition is held.
Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin, head-to-head rivals five years ago in the previous contest to build presidential helicopters, are expected to announce today that they are teaming up to bid on a new contract for a fleet of Marine One helicopters, The Wall Street Journal reported. Under the plan, Sikorsky would build the helicopters and Lockheed would build the specialized systems inside the helicopters, the Journal said. (WashingtonBusinessJournal)
Federal agencies are keeping a lid on less information. The National Archives and Records Administration reports a 10 percent drop in the number of decisions to classify documents in 2009. In all, 1,600 fewer people received power to classify information. NARA says much of that drop was driven by the State Department, which saw a 61-percent reduction.
We hear a lot about diversity in federal agencies, and now members of Congress are making a similar move. House leaders have announced a plan to boost diversity among their staff. Government Executive reports the House Administration Committee will work with an advisory council to beef up training and build job and resume banks for minorities. The announcement comes after a recent report found a lack of minorities working on Capitol Hill.
Nearly 2,000 Transportation workers will receive pay after all for the days they were furloughed. President Obama has signed bill to make that happen. The measure requires Transportation Secretary LaHood to use money from the Highway Trust Fund or other appropriations. The Transportation Workers were sent home in March for two days, after Congress failed to extend funding before it ran out.
Trust in Washington is about as low as it’s been in half a century. A Pew Research Center survey finds nearly 80 percent say they can’t trust Washington and have little faith that the massive federal bureaucracy can solve the nation’s ills. The survey finds just 22 percent say they can trust Washington almost always or most of the time, and nearly half say the government negatively affects their daily lives. Most call Washington too big and too powerful, and say it’s interfering too much in state and local matters.
President Barack Obama launched a new initiative to encourage more Americans to enjoy the outdoors.The president said the “America’s Great Outdoors” program will involve a series of listening sessions throughout the nation to solicit an array of ideas. The initiative will be led by the heads of the Environmental Protection Agency, White House Council on Environmental Quality and departments of Agriculture and Interior. Obama expects to receive a report by Nov. 15 outlining a plan of action to reconnect Americans to nature, enhance conservation efforts and create jobs.
More news links
Rain threatens to delay space shuttle’s return
Top general says US withdrawal from Iraq on track
Towns reject FEMA flood buyouts, despite benefits
Feds indict former Blackwater president, 4 others
White House spokesman: Twitter an ‘amazing tool’
New stamps to honor cowboy heroes
Obama’s 5 Best Cabinet Secretaries (USNews slideshow)
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