Monday Morning Federal Newscast – May 9th

Security tightened post-bin Laden, Bill proposes to freeze federal hiring, Contractors sweat federal budget cuts

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Amy Morris discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is designed to give FederalNewsRadio.com users more information about the stories you hear on the air.

  • Osama Bin Laden’s death is leading to heightened security at your agency as officials fear possible retaliatory actions. Feds could see more identification checks or more canines in their office buildings. Wendell Shingler, former director of the Federal Protective Service, tells Federal News Radio, feds won’t see all of the changes. Some FPS officers may patrol dressed as tourists or visitors.
  • A new bill on the House floor would freeze hiring across the government until the national deficit has been knocked out. Representative Tom Marino (R-Pa.) introduced the bill that would freeze federal hiring in all but a few agencies. Among the exemptions would be USPS and federal law enforcement. Marino wants to halt hiring until the budget deficit is under control. Marino’s bill is one of at least three similar bills that would affect the federal workforce either by cutting, freezing it or fuloughing it.
  • Maryland contractors are starting to worry about the possibility of deep federal budget cuts. The Gazette reports that the recently passed spending resolution means agencies have about five months to award a year’s worth of contracts. But vendors worry about the political environment and what it means for doing business with the federal government. Experts say just because you have a GSA Schedule doesn’t mean the money is going to start pouring in. You also must know what agencies need, and how to help them provide better service to the public.
  • Managers from dozens of federal agencies will participate in trade and military talks with their Chinese counterparts this week. It’s the second annual U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Topping the discussion will be America’s trade deficit with China, which rose 20 percent last year to a record $273 billion dollars. Also on the agenda will be China’s currency policy and human rights. The dialog follows a state visit by Chinese President Hu Jintao to Washington in January. This morning’s kickoff session is led by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.
  • A half-billion dollars in contracts is up for grabs from Veterans Affairs. Washington Technology reports that the VA intends to award IT contracts worth up to $500 million so they can reach VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s 16 milestones. Those include eliminating veteran homelessness, eliminating the benefits backlog, and establishing a life-long e-record for all veterans. Now their challenge will be to handle the large volume of contracts in the final five months of the fiscal year.
  • General Dynamics has posted its smallest sales increase since 1995. Now, Bloomberg News reports, the contractor might need acquisitions more than ever, and is looking at opportunities to buy businesses to help boost growth. One shareholder, Fiduciary Trust, says General Dynamics should buy a company outside defense and aerospace, or split up. General Dynamics’ big setback was the cancellation of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle that it was building for the Marine Corps.
  • Some parents and would-be enlistees question a Pentagon policy about high school diplomas. DOD takes only 10 percent of its recruits from among students with non-traditional degrees. That includes online high schools. Critics say DOD is behind the times, and that many online high schools are superior to brick-and-mortar ones. A Pentagon spokesman says, more than 20 years of data show recruits with traditional degrees are more likely to complete their full, three years of service.

More news links

Alexandria weighs special parking rules near Mark Center (Examiner)

Automatic budget cuts have spotty record

Former NSA contractor bilked government of $108,000 (Baltimore Sun)

THIS AFTERNOON ON FEDERAL NEWS RADIO

Coming up today on In Depth with Francis Rose:

–It’s day one of “BRAC Impact: A Federal News Radio and WTOP In-Depth Series.” You’ll hear what your colleagues and neighbors think about BRAC, and how it’s affecting them.

–Is your agency taking care of the people who take care of your network? What YOUR Chief Information Security Officer is thinking…with former Interior CIO Hord Tipton.

Join Francis from 3 to 7 pm on 1500 AM or on your computer.

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