Friday federal headlines – April 29, 2016

The Federal Headlines is a daily compilation of the stories you hear discussed on the Federal Drive.

• Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) are taking aim at unnecessary government reports again. The pair introduced legislation to eliminate or consolidate 223 additional outdated reports produced by more than two dozen federal agencies mandated by Congress. They eliminated 53 redundant reports back in 2014 as well. (Sen. Mark Warner)

• The White House has redesigned its website to let citizens petition the government. Over the last year, it has made the We the People portal more mobile friendly, easier to create, sign and share petitions and simplified the workflow. One big change was letting petition creators choose between five different request types, each speaking directly to the actions the government can take. The White House also dealt with a backlog of 20 petitions awaiting a response. Over the last 4 1/2 years, the White House has received almost 450,000 petitions and 32 million signatures. (Medium)

• For the second day in a row, Senate Democrats are continuing their filibuster on a major funding bill. The appropriations bill is meant to provide funding to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy, and several independent agencies. Bloomberg reports they’re holding it up due to concerns over a proposed amendment by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-S.C.) having to do with the Iran nuclear deal. (Bloomberg Government)

• What’s now hobbling the Export-Import Bank is stubbornness by Senate Banking Committee chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). The Wall Street Journal reports, Shelby is refusing to allow approval of nominees for the bank board. That means it can’t move ahead with financing $10 million in loans to customers of U.S. exporters. Shelby said he’s philosophically opposed to the Ex-Im Bank. (Wall Street Journal)

• Leaders in the intelligence and defense communities say they’re tired of waiting for guidance on how to use social media in their insider threat and continuous evaluation programs. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was supposed to issue a directive on social media use, but it’s still stuck in the Office of Management and Budget for review. Agency leaders said social media is one of the more valuable tools they can use in their insider threat programs. The Defense Department’s Director of Security, Carrie Widden, said DoD will have 44 insider threat programs in total. 16 of them have met initial operating capability requirements. (Federal News Radio)

• A bill to overhaul the Veterans Affairs Department has gained ground in the Senate. The Veterans First Act is a bipartisan package that addresses everything from accountability of senior executives to better treatment of whistleblowers. One sponsor, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), said the bill will create a “new VA.” (Federal News Radio)

• Women would have to sign up for selective service if the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2017 defense authorization bill makes it into law. The Committee narrowly passed an amendment making women eligible for the draft. Currently, only men between the ages of 18 and 26 are required to sign up for selective service. Leaders of the Army and Marine Corps have said they support selective services for women. (Federal News Radio)

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