The Anthrax case is finally closed. After a long awaited 7-year trail, FBI officials closed the case today. The conclusion was that the attacks were done from a single government researcher: Dr. Bruce Ivins. Officials had about 100 pages of findings that they released and announced their decision based on all of the extensive amount [...]

Yesterday morning, February 18th, the Center for American Progress launched a new project called “Doing What Works.” At the announcement there was an address by Jeffrey Zients, Obama’s Chief Performance Officer. In his address, Zients mentioned that the Office of Management and Budget is going to launch a new and improved USAspending.gov. It is one [...]

The U.S. General Services Administration and the Defense Information Systems Agency reached an important benchmark in devising a common marketplace for commercial satellite communications services. FedBizOpps, the government’s official procurement solicitation site, has refreshed the Federal Supply Schedule 70 that includes two new special item numbers for COMSATCOM services. The solicitation contains instructions to vendors [...]

The ongoing movement towards success in the Open Government technology will get a multi-billion dollar boost in fiscal year 2011, with almost $80 billion allocated for information technology. The money will be aimed at several initiatives that play major roles in the process of Open Government – notably “dashboards” or sites that detail progress on [...]

Former Republican Senate Whip Alan K. Simpson was chosen to co-chair the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in February 2010. After graduating from the University of Wyoming in 1954, Simpson joined the Army and was commissioned a second lieutenant. In November 1954, he was ordered to Fort Benning, Ga. He served overseas in [...]

Erskine Bowles was appointed to the position of co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in February 2010. Currently the president of the University of North Carolina, Bowles announced his plans to retire as soon as a replacement has been found. Bowles is also a former Clinton White House chief of staff. [...]

Caryn Wagner became under secretary for intelligence and analysis for the Department of Homeland Security in February 2010.She was previously an instructor in intelligence resource management for The Intelligence and Security Academy, LLC. In October 2008, Wagner retired from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where she served as budget director and cybersecurity coordinator. [...]

Caryn Wagner has finally been confirmed as Department of Homeland Security as Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis (I&A). Her nomination had faced a months-long hold by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.).  No explanation was given for Coburn moving to delay the process. “Effective intelligence collection and analysis and robust information-sharing are essential to our mission [...]

Peter Orszag is director of the Office of Management and Budget and oversees the Obama administration’s budget policy, coordinates the implementation of major policy initiatives through the federal government, and reviews federal regulatory action, among other responsibilities. From 2007 to 2008, Orszag served as director of the Congressional Budget Office, overseeing the agency’s work in [...]

President Obama signed an executive order this morning establishing a new, bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.  The Commission’s co-chairs will be former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senate Whip Alan Simpson. The Commission’s goal is to put forward proposals to balance the budget (excluding interest payments [...]