Federal Drive

Thursday morning federal headlines – Feb. 9, 2012

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive host Tom Temin discuss throughout the show each day. The Newscast is d...

Federal News Network Staff

February 9, 2012 8:14 am

4 min read

The Morning Federal Newscast is a daily compilation of the stories you hear Federal Drive host Tom Temin 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.

The Transportation Security Administration says it’s rolling out its program for expedited passenger screening to 28 of the country’s busiest airports. The program, called “Pre Check,” lets some registered frequent fliers move through security lanes without having to remove their shoes or jackets, or take their laptops out of their carryons. TSA has been testing the program at seven pilot airports, and it says it’s screened 336,000 passengers with the speedier procedures so far. The agency says it’ll let its screeners focus their attention on passengers that they know less about. (DHS)
A federal union is accusing the Veterans Affairs Department of failing to meet the letter of the telework law. The American Federation of Government Employees says the agency is capping the number of attorneys allowed to telework — a direct violation of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. Rep. Frank Wolf of (R-Va.) is now demanding an explanation. VA’s chief human capital officer John Sepulveda says managers aren’t convinced that telework is good for the agency. Sepulveda says he is working with leaders at the central office to rethink their telework policies. (Federal News Radio)
There’s yet another proposal on Capitol Hill to cut federal retirement benefits. This one would use the money the government saves to fund highway programs. The House Republican plan was posted online yesterday. It’s designed to bridge the gap between federal gas tax revenues and the $260 billion the GOP wants to spend on highway construction programs over the next five years. Federal employees retirement contributions to their pensions would increase by 1.5 percent over three years. And new federal employees would have their retirements calculated based on their highest five years of earnings instead of the highest three. Revenue from the 18.4-cent-a-gallon federal gas tax is declining, and it no longer provides enough money to cover federal highway spending. (Federal News Radio)
The Pentagon will recommend Congress today to formally change the rules regarding women in combat. Defense officials tell the Associated Press the new rules will continue the longstanding prohibition on women serving as infantry, armor and special operations forces. But they will formally allow women to serve in other jobs at the battalion level, which have been off limits until now, at least on paper. In reality though, women have been serving on the front lines over the last 10 years of war, often as medics, military police or intelligence officers. (Federal News Radio)
Some Federal Air Marshalls say they’ve been working in an unfair environment. The Homeland Security Department Inspector General releases a report today that says — maybe not. The IG office says while many workers perceived unfair treatment in assignments and promotions, it did not find a culture of widespread discrimination and retaliation across the agency. But the IG says the perceptions were so widespread they could not be dismissed. The Transportation Security Administration — the air marshals’ parent agency — says it’s working on improving communication within the workforce through working groups, listening sessions and advisory councils. (Federal News Radio)
The House Small Business Committee introduces three more bills aimed at reforming small business contracting — bringing the total to six bills in the last two weeks. The Small Business Opportunity Act would require small business advocates to be a part of the acquisition planning process. The Small Business Protection Act would create a new size standards group at SBA to better define what it means to be a small business. And the Building Better Business Partnerships Act would let SBA oversee civilian agency mentor-protege programs to encourage standardization. (Federal News Radio)
The General Services Administration wants to create a database search engine that lets government buyers compare prices on commercial products, on the spot. The search engine should be able to pull up the most current pricing information on a selected product by searching both commercial and government websites, according to a request for information published at the Federal Business Opportunities website. Target government websites would include e-commerce sites associated with popular interagency programs, such as GSA Advantage, NASA’s Solutions for Enterprisewide Procurement and the Defense Department’s e-mall. “This database will provide customers a source of real-time commercial and governmental pricing for effective decision making on the acquisition of products,” the notice states. In addition to pricing, GSA envisions the system providing information on shipping cost, delivery times and quantity discounts. (FBO.gov)
Two steering groups should oversee the implementation of the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. That is one of the recommendations from federal and private sector experts on how to get the NSTIC up and running. The National Institute of Standards and Technology issued the recommendations for how the government can serve as a catalyst to get rid of usernames and passwords. One of the groups would be large with working groups and committees to handle the development and adoption of standards, policies and procedures. The second group would be smaller and be responsible for strategic guidance and resources. (NIST)