FederalDaily - July 3, 2007

Panel Passes Measure to Help Resolve FAA Labor Dispute

The House Transportation Committee on June 28 passed a measure that would force the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) back to the negotiating table with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) after an impasse was declared last year. The bill (HR 2881), the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, would help improve the national aviation system as well as resolve pending labor issues, said Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Ill., chairman of the aviation subcommittee. The bill would send FAA and NATCA back to the bargaining table to reach a new accord, and would require binding arbitration for future labor negotiations between air traffic controllers and FAA, Costello said in a statement. The bill, which passed by a voice vote in the committee, prompted an angry response from Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, who said it would strip FAA of the flexibility it needs to manage air travel. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill. To see more, go to: www.house.gov/costello/press/2007/jun28-2.htm or www.dot.gov/affairs/dot6107.htm

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GAO Details Failure of DHS Financial Management

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lost $52 million on a project intended to upgrade its combined financial management systems because the effort was poorly planned, government auditors told a Senate oversight panel. A Senate Homeland Security subcommittee on June 28 heard from top DHS and Government Accountability Office (GAO) financial management experts about the agency’s efforts to transform, consolidate and integrate financial management systems, and actions to be taken to prevent future failures before more money is wasted. The experts testified that DHS financial management efforts have been overwhelmed ever since the agency was created in 2003 to consolidate 22 separate agencies. GAO said that the upgrade project—on which DHS lost $52 million—failed because the agency lacked a clearly defined plan to improve its financial management systems. “The Department of Homeland Security has a bad track record when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars efficiently and effectively,” said panel Chairman Tom Carper, D-Del. “Congressional oversight is imperative to ensure the Department of Homeland Security takes immediate corrective action to ensure funds are not wasted.” To see more, go to: http://carper.senate.gov/test/release.cfm?type=press&id=278050

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McCaskill Calls for Inspector General Reform

A new Senate measure would strengthen the federal government’s inspector general (IG) system and make sure that IGs are insulated from the influence of the agencies they are supposed to be keeping an eye on. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., introduced the legislation, the Improving Government Accountability Act, to make sure that qualified individuals are appointed to IG positions, that IGs remain independent and that IG reports are easily accessible to the public. The bill comes in the wake of reports that some IGs may have been involved in misconduct or may have been pressured by agency heads. McCaskill said that the allegations against a few IG and government officials have called into question whether current law goes far enough to ensure that IG offices fulfill their designed purpose. “If we can’t keep government accountable to the people, we aren’t doing our job,” McCaskill said in a June 28 statement.  “It’s time to update our laws to make sure that these offices have the tools and resources they need to remain independent.” To see more, go to:  http://mccaskill.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=278064&;  

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