Category: Congress

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

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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

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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

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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

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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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All congressional eyes focus on the great question: CR or government shutdown?

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Congress is still a couple of weeks away from returning to Washington. Still, pressure is building for members to resolve a difficult budget impasse, as the prospects for a lapse in appropriations also seem to grow. For more,  Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with Loren Duggan, Bloomberg Government’s Deputy News Director Loren. Interview Transcript:  Tom Temin And absence, I guess, makes their hearts grow fonder. And the debates are in some level continuing here on what they will do about the budget, correct? Loren Duggan That is correct. I…

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DoD’s budget challenges will take years to fix, but reform commission says now’s the time to start

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The expert panel Congress assembled to find fixes to the Pentagon’s archaic planning and budgeting process won’t deliver its final prescription for reform until next spring. But its members say there are at least some steps the Defense Department and Congress should start taking right now, particularly in light of the fact that fixing what’s wrong is certain to be a years-long effort. The Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE) Reform published an interim report this week, previewing 10 of the possible recommendations it might make in its…

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