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News release: “Today, Congressman John F. Tierney (D-MA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement about a newly-released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he requested as part of his sustained oversight of U.S. defense procurement waste: The GAO report identifies an area of weapon systems procurement that still …
Subsidizing Infrastructure Investment with Tax-Preferred Bonds, October 2009 “To inform the Congress in its deliberations about federal infrastructure policy, this study assesses the role of tax preferences in infrastructure investment in the United States. It discusses the types of tax preferences for state and local bonds, reports the amount of such debt that has been …
CQ Staff: “The House Financial Services Committee approved creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA), marking a big win for many Democrats and consumer advocates. The measure (HR 3126) a central piece of the Obama administrations financial overhaul plan would create a new federal regulator with broad powers to police large swaths …
“EPIC joined the Privacy Coalition letter sent to the House Committee on Homeland Security urging them to investigate the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Chief Privacy Office. DHS is unrivaled in its authority to develop and deploy new systems of surveillance. The letter cited DHS use of Fusion Center, Whole Body Imaging, funding of CCTV …
The Clean Water Act after 37 Years: Recommitting to the Protection of the Nations Waters – Statement of Wade T. Najjum Assistant Inspector General for Program Evaluation Before the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, October 15, 2009. “Steps taken by EPA and others under the Clean Water Act have resulted in …
Sunlight Foundation: “One year after the biggest economic collapse since the Great Depression, Congress is still debating new financial regulations to protect consumers and prevent risk-taking in the financial sector. The House Committee on Financial Services is currently undertaking the important first step of writing, amending and voting on some of the pieces of the …
CBO’s Analysis of the Effects of Proposals to Limit Costs Related to Medical Malpractice (“Tort Reform”), October 9, 2009 Letter to Senator Orrin G. Hatch: “This letter responds to your request for an updated analysis of the effects of proposals to limit costs related to medical malpractice (tort reform). Tort reform could affect costs for …
Government Executive: The 1,500-page fiscal 2010 Defense authorization bill approved by a congressional conference committee on Wednesday will have major repercussions for contractors and the government’s acquisition workforce. Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the legislation “supports the [Pentagon’s] plan to increase the size of the civilian acquisition workforce; …
Make Our Food Safe: “Every year, 76 million Americans are sickened from consuming contaminated food and 5,000 of these people die. Thats more than the number of individuals who lose their lives as a result of fire or unintentional drowning in the U.S. each year. Continued outbreaks of foodborne illness over the last several …
ACLU: “The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the USA PATRIOT Act Extension Act of 2009 [October 9, 2009], a bill which falls far short of restoring the necessary civil liberties protections lacking in the original Patriot Act. The bill, passed by the committee after two sessions of debate, makes only minor changes to the disastrous Patriot …
U.S. House of Representatives has taken its last mainframe offline: “The U.S. House of Representatives has taken its last mainframe offline, signaling the end of a computing era in Washington, D.C.: The last mainframe supposedly enjoyed “quasi-celebrity status” within the House data center, having spent 12 years keeping the House’s inventory control records and financial …
News release: “The Congressional Oversight Panel today released its October oversight report, An Assessment of Foreclosure Mitigation Efforts after Six Months. The Panel expresses concern about the limited scope and scale of the Making Home Affordable program and questions whether Treasury’s strategy will lead to permanent mortgage modifications for many homeowners. Rising unemployment, weak home …
