Congress

Congress averts shutdown, punts funding debate into March

Both the Senate and House approved a six-week stopgap on Thursday, just one day before a shutdown deadline.

  • By Eric Katz

House picks new speaker, but shutdown threat looms

Federal agency missions often take a back seat amid preparations for a funding lapse.

  • By Frank Konkel

Vendors prep for new cyber rules of the road

Federal policy is shifting to impose tighter cybersecurity requirements on government contractors and Congress appears poised to impose new standards throughout the private sector.

  • By Lauren C. Williams

Federal contractors could soon have to disentangle themselves completely from Russia 

A top House oversight Democrat says her bill limiting contracts with companies operating in Russia during the Ukraine war would supplement existing sanctions. 

  • By Courtney Bublé

NSC official calls for federal office to oversee commercial supply chains

A NSC official expressed support for a provision in the $52 billion America COMPETES Act that would establish a federal office dedicated to monitoring domestic and international commercial supply chains.

  • By Chris Riotta

Lawmakers worry about cyber risks in space

Senators questioned the commanders of Space Command and Strategic Command on their plans to handle an increase in space-based threats.

  • By Lauren C. Williams
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Why the government isn't ready for sequestration

Only months from deadline, federal agencies are as unprepared as ever for massive budget cuts. What's the holdup?

  • By Amber Corrin

Obama signs Sequestration Transparency Act

A new measure requires the Obama administration to provide to Congress detailed plans for the forced budget cuts that sequestration will bring.

  • By Amber Corrin

Agencies say 'No mas' to wartime contracting reforms

The Defense and State departments and USAID have followed some recommendations of the Wartime Contracting Commission, but now say they don't want to do more. But some senators want to make the changes mandatory.

  • By Matthew Weigelt

2013 defense budget proposal creates uncertainty

Congress is planning to forego appropriations bills for fiscal 2013 in favor of passing a six-month-long stopgap spending measure that would maintain 2012 funding levels though March.

  • By Washington Technology staff

Partisan fighing mars sequestration hearing

As a hearing intended to help prepare for the effects of sequestration degenerates into a partisan shouting match, one embarrassed congressman calls the event a 'spectacle.'

  • By Amber Corrin

Will a lame duck save us from sequestration?

Ryep. Gerald Connolly thinks the so-called lame-duck session after the November election offers a brief window of opportunity for solving some of the contentious issues facing Congress.

  • By Matthew Weigelt

Defense cuts find plenty of love with public

Cutting the defense budget gets overwhelming support from the public, but where specific cuts should be made is open to debate.

  • By Amber Corrin
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Is Congress moving to spike sequestration?

Language in the 2013 Defense Authorization bill is attempting to avert mandatory budget cuts that some fear could seriously hamper the Defense Department's mission, including the impact on contractors.

  • By Amber Corrin

Joe Jordan confirmed as OFPP administrator

After just five months of vacancy, OFPP has a new leader.

  • By Matthew Weigelt

Senators push for bigger small-business goals

Congress aims for higher overall small-business contracting goals, even as administration officials consider them "unrealistic."

  • By Matthew Weigelt

Senator wants approvals for conference spending

Under a forthcoming bill, a senior agency official would have to give approval for any conference costing more than $200,000.

  • By Matthew Weigelt

Rep. Graves requests contract reforms in next NDAA

He added that the Armed Services Committee’s own Panel on Business Challenges and Small Business Committee’s legislation complement each other.

  • By Matthew Weigelt

A senator's inauspicious rise

Former Sen. George Mitchell recalls his first day in Congress.

  • By Michael Hardy

Senator knocks government spending on contractors

Federal spending on contractor services is out of control and must be reined in, according to Sen. Claire McCaskill.

  • By Amber Corrin

Congress backs off calling contractors lobbyists

One senator said the decision leaves the bill without a common-sense measure of protection.

  • By Matthew Weigelt