Earl Devaney has a bookmark for reporters: Recovery.gov. “My vision here is that every reporter in America will wake up and click on this site and be looking for problems. They’ve already started, by the way,” he told city and county officials yesterday during a meeting at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Devaney, chairman ofRead… Read more »
As the federal government starts doling out billions of dollars from the economic recovery package, there’s growing concern that officials will not be able to account for every project and every dollar spent. Should the government enlist everyday Americans with an Internet connection to help? Jerry Brito thinks so. Brito is a senior research fellowRead… Read more »
Former Washington State governor Gary Locke expressed his full commitment to helping restore the nation’s economic health and stated that he was prepared to address the challenges facing the Commerce Department during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee today. “We must rebuild, retool and reinvent our national strategies for sustained economic success,” LockeRead… Read more »
Some thought this day might never come! Today the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will hold a confirmation hearing for former Washington Gov. Gary Locke (D), President Obama’s third pick to serve as commerce secretary. The former county executive, who in recent years has worked on China and energy issues for a Seattle-area lawRead… Read more »
Elaine Kaplan will serve as one of President Obama’s lead advisors on federal human resource issues in her new role as general counsel of the Office of Personnel Management. The agency’s acting director, Kathie Ann Whipple, appointed her to the job today, calling her “uniquely qualified” to serve OPM. Currently a senior deputy counsel atRead… Read more »
Employees always seem to dress nicely and organize their desks when they know the boss is stopping by for a visit. While they haven’t walked the halls inspecting offices, President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Biden have made several visits to agencies and departments in the first few weeks to address theRead… Read more »
President Obama marked the 20th anniversary of the Department of Veterans Affairs today, saying the coming year “will be the true test” of the department’s mission to provide assistance to the nation’s veterans, as many start returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. “Until we reach a day that not a single veteran sleeps on our nation’sRead… Read more »
“We’re doing more in weeks than other countries do in years.” Treasury Secretary Timothy M. Geithner made that pronouncement earlier this week after meetings with lawmakers to update them on the administration’s recovery program. The not-so-subtle dig at the world financial community was part of his ongoing effort to convince his international counterparts that theyRead… Read more »
The official tasked with overseeing the economic stimulus funds says it’s “inevitable” that taxpayer funds will be lost due to waste, fraud and abuse. Earl Devaney, chairman of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board (RAT Board), met today with state officials responsible for distributing the federal funds and said he will “work tirelessly toRead… Read more »
Lawmakers have proposed several competing measures in recent weeks to reform the nation’s food safety efforts and pump more money into the Food and Drug Administration, the nation’s primary food safety inspection agency. While the ideas have sparked a government-wide “food fight” over turf, ideology and funding, they come as the recent salmonella outbreak involvingRead… Read more »