Does the Pentagon skip too many of its congressional reporting duties?

The Defense Department is under statutory obligation to deliver a thousand reports to Congress each year. One analysis says the department consistently fails at this task and that Congress doesn’t get the information it needs for proper oversight of military affairs. For more on all of that, the Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Brennen Center counsel Katherine Yon Ebright. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And you took a look at the situation some FOIA documents will get into. But first of all, just outline the issue. A thousand. Is…

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Biden nominates a former Obama official to run the Federal Aviation Administration

President Joe Biden on Thursday nominated a former Obama administration official to lead the Federal Aviation Administration after his first choice withdrew in March after running into opposition from Republican senators. The White House said Biden nominated Michael G. Whitaker, a former deputy administrator at the FAA. He is currently the chief operating officer of a Hyundai affiliate working to develop an air taxi aircraft. Whitaker’s nomination had been expected for months, and Biden’s announcement was praised by several industry and labor groups. The FAA, which regulates airline safety and…

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What do congressional minions actually do when they try to reconcile bills, anyhow?

The detailed work in Congress is done not by members, but rather by the 30,000-odd staff members. Right now, a group of overworked, and probably underpaid, minions are what they call “conferencing” over one of the most important yearly laws: the National Defense Authorization Act. Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with on of those former “minions.” Among other things, she was Senior Defense Adviser to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Michele Pearce is currently an attorney with Covington and Burling. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And we should say that you…

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White House asks Congress to pass short-term funding bill to keep government operating

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Thursday that Congress should pass a short-term funding measure to ensure the government keeps operating after the current budget year ends Sept. 30. An official with the Office of Management and Budget said lawmakers would very likely need to pass a temporary spending measure in September to prevent a potential partial shutdown. The official was not authorized to discuss the administration’s plans and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Without such congressional approval, parts of the federal government could shut…

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Justice Department false-claims cases continue at a brisk pace

The government’s pursuit of false-claims cases never takes a break. So far this year, recoveries have totaled just under $ 500 million and they appear to be on pace for a full-year-yield of around $ 2 billion. For more on the trends, and some of the more remarkable settlements,  Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke to attorney Jonathan Phillips, a Partner at Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And you have done a pretty comprehensive tracking of everything going on in, I should say, not just whistleblower cases,…

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Biden’s shift on F-16s for Ukraine came after months of internal debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to allow allies to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate F-16 fighter jets — and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves — seemed like an abrupt change in position but was in fact one that came after months of internal debate and quiet talks with allies. Biden announced during last week’s Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that the U.S. would join the F-16 coalition. His green light came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent months pressing the West to provide his…

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