CBO: Federal Budget Deficit Hits $588B for FY 2016
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CBO: Federal Budget Deficit Hits $588B for FY 2016


BudgetThe Congressional Budget Office has estimated the federal government’s budget deficit at $588 billion for the 2016 fiscal year Sept. 30 in an increase of $149 billion over the figure calculated in FY 2015.

CBO said Friday that the increase in 2016 deficit was the first since 2009 as total receipts and total outlays reached $3.3 trillion and $3.86 trillion, respectively, in FY 2016.

CBO estimates that FY 2016 revenues increased less than 1 percent year-over-year and spending grew 5 percent over FY 2015 figures.

The deficit represented an estimated 3.2 percent of gross domestic product versus the 2.5 percent GDP recorded in 2015.

CBO also noted that nearly $41 billion of the deficit increase was the result of a shift in the timing of government payments that would have normally occurred in FY 2017 in light of Oct. 1, 2016 falling on a weekend.

The federal government started its 2017 fiscal year on Monday, Oct. 3.

CBO’s estimates put the surplus for the month of September 2016 at $33 billion to show a decline of $58 billion from the prior year period.

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OFPP Proposes New OMB Circular to Implement Category Mgmt for Common Goods & Services Procurement
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OFPP Proposes New OMB Circular to Implement Category Mgmt for Common Goods & Services Procurement


acquisition policyThe Office of Federal Procurement Policy has proposed to release a new circular that seeks to implement category management in an effort to facilitate the acquisition of common goods and services by federal agencies.

OFPP said in a Federal Register notice posted Friday the new Office of Management and Budget circular seeks to create a government-wide approach to the procurement of common goods and services and define policies and strategies for the implementation of category management.

The proposed document would also require the OFPP administrator to form and chair a Category Management Leadership Council that will work to approve government-wide strategies for core categories and subcategories and offer advice to OMB with regard to “best-in-class” contract sourcing platforms.

The OMB circular outlines the responsibilities of the General Services Administration, category managers and Chief Financial Officer Act agencies.

The document also aims to designate the Acquisition Gateway as a central data repository designed to facilitate information sharing and data analytics to implement category management.

OFPP cited the core metrics designed to evaluate the performance of category management, such as reduction in the number of duplicate contracts, increase in spend under management and accomplishment of small business goals.

Comments to the proposed circular are due Nov. 7, according to the notice.

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DHS & ODNI: Russia Directed Email Breach Against US Entities
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DHS & ODNI: Russia Directed Email Breach Against US Entities


cyber-hack-network-computerThe Department of Homeland Security and Office of the Director of National Intelligence have said Russia’s government has directed activities that led to the disclosure of e-mails from U.S. individuals and institutions including political parties.

DHS and ODNI said in a joint statement posted Friday that methods used in Russian-led efforts are “consistent” with the publication of hacked emails on sites such as DCLeaks.com, WikiLeaks and the Guccifer 2.0 online persona.

Cyber attacks against election-related systems in some states are currently not being attributed to Russia, according to the statement.

DHS and the intelligence community assessed it would be difficult to interfere with ballot counts or election results through cyber intrusion.

DHS offers cybersecurity assistance to state and local election officials such as cyber “hygiene” scans of internet-facing systems; risk and vulnerability assessments; information sharing about cyber incidents and best practices.

The department has also convened an Election Infrastructure Cybersecurity Working Group with representatives from all government levels to raise awareness of cybersecurity risks that could affect election infrastructure and processes.

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David Saltiel Joins SEC as Analytics & Research Office Associate Director
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David Saltiel Joins SEC as Analytics & Research Office Associate Director


David Saltiel
David Saltiel

David Saltiel, former chief economist of the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board, has joined the Securities and Exchange Commission as associate director of the office of analytics and research within SEC’s trading and markets division.

He will lead the office that analyzes market structure, new products and rule filings by exchanges as well as provides support in portfolio and risk management, trading and quantitative data analysis, SEC said Thursday.

Prior to MSRB, Saltiel worked at the Treasury Department‘s Bureau of the Fiscal Service as chief financial economist and director of data management and analytics as well as acting deputy assistant commissioner for debt management.

He also served as deputy director at the Atlantic Council of the U.S. and manager of federal affairs and analysis at AREVA as well as director of strategy and economic analysis for the nuclear power company’s North American operations.

Saltiel also held positions at the Energy Department and DOE-funded Sandia National Laboratories.

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Navy Creates Mobile Combat Simulation Tech for Civilian Use
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Navy Creates Mobile Combat Simulation Tech for Civilian Use


navy-combat-simulationThe U.S. Navy has developed a mobile combat simulation platform that will allow civilian users to experience a Navy SEAL water extraction mission in a virtual environment.

The service branch said Friday it will showcase the technology this month during the Sacramento Navy Week and San Francisco Fleet Week events in California as well as at University of Texas campuses in Brownsville and Edinburg.

“We’ve spent significant time and resources developing this state-of-the-art virtual reality experience to transform and elevate the way people think about the Navy,” said Rear Adm. Doug Beal, deputy commander of the Navy Recruiting Command.

The virtual reality mobile display was integrated into two trucks to allow separate travel during tours in California and Texas where Navy personnel will also be present to guide users.

Capt. Dave Bouve, national director of marketing and advertising at the Navy Recruiting Command, said the events provide the service branch the opportunity to demonstrate how it helps develop advanced equipment.

The branch noted it will provide video briefing to civilians before they use the immersive simulation technology and grade their performance afterwards.

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NASA Makes Little Progress on Mars Missions Beyond 2020 Rover, Orbiter; Jim Watzin Comments
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NASA Makes Little Progress on Mars Missions Beyond 2020 Rover, Orbiter; Jim Watzin Comments


Mars PlanetNASA has made little progress on future Mars missions beyond a 2020 rover in an effort to replace aging spacecraft currently in orbit around the planet, Space News reported Friday.

The space agency has prioritized the establishment of an orbiter that will work to relay communications for spacecraft on Mars’ surface and carry high-resolution cameras and others instruments, Jeff Foust writes.

“It’s a difficult environment to get new missions into the program right now, and so we continue to work hard to try to build the advocacy necessary to get some missions.” said Jim Watzin, director of the agency’s Mars Exploration Program.

“Somewhat disappointingly, we are still in a situation where we have no missions beyond 2020 on the books that are approved or budgeted,” he added.

The Mars 2020 Rover is under development at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Wayne Brasure Nominated as Full-Time Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Chief at DHS
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Wayne Brasure Nominated as Full-Time Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Chief at DHS


Wayne Brasure
Wayne Brasure

L. Wayne Brasure, acting director of the domestic nuclear detection office at the Department of Homeland Security since May, has been nominated by President Barack Obama to serve in the role on a full-time basis.

Brasure also has been deputy chief of DNDO since 2014, the White House said Thursday.

DNDO oversees the implementation of U.S. nuclear detection initiatives and integration of nuclear forensic programs as well as development and coordination of nuclear detection and reporting framework with federal agency partners, private sector and international governments.

Brasure previously served as chief of the U.S. Air Force’s office of scientific research before he moved to DHS in 2014.

He worked at the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center as executive director between 2010 and 2014 after two years as stockpile sustainment manager at the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Energy Department.

He spent almost three decades at the military branch and held several management and leadership roles, such as director of the Air Force High Power Microwave Program and stockpile systems division chief at the service branch’s nuclear weapons and counterproliferation agency.

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GSA, OMB Approve USDA as Shared Service Provider of CGI’s Financial Mgmt Software
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GSA, OMB Approve USDA as Shared Service Provider of CGI’s Financial Mgmt Software


financial reportingThe General Services Administration and the Office of Management and Budget have selected the Agriculture Department to serve as a shared services provider of CGI’s financial management platform.

OMB and GSA’s office of unified shared services management gave USDA’s financial management services division approval to offer CGI’s Momentum software to other government agencies after USDA passed a committee-based assessment process, GSA said Friday.

USDA’s selection comes days after the Department of Veterans Affairs picked the former to serve as VA’s federal shared services provider and replace the agency’s current financial management system.

GSA said the adoption of a shared services model seeks to help federal agencies perform their mission functions, build up cybersecurity and facilitate the decision-making process through data access.

CGI’s Momentum commercial off-the-shelf software is a certified financial shared services offering that works help federal agencies perform financial, budgeting and procurement functions.

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Afloat Training Group Performs Assessment on USS John C Stennis; Dominic Gamez Comments
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Afloat Training Group Performs Assessment on USS John C Stennis; Dominic Gamez Comments


Afloat Training Group Performs Assessment on USS John C Stennis; Dominic Gamez CommentsAn Afloat Training Group has conducted a Unit Level Training Assessment-Sustainment on the USS John C. Stennis prior to the aircraft carrier’s return to Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton.

The service branch said Thursday the ULTRA-S test was performed to help John C. Stennis achieve mission readiness and prepare the aircraft carrier’s capacity to carry out a variety of missions.

ATG observed, assessed and evaluated the sailors’ shipboard watchstanding, warfighting and damage control capacities through drills that determined the quality of CVN 74’s ongoing training programs and mission readiness.

“We want to know that the fleet can trust this particular ship to sustain itself in any kind of casualty,” said Dominic Gamez, Petty Officer 1st Class and ATG assessor.

“What we are looking for is safety compliance, that all safety procedures are going well and while combating a casualty, how well the motivation is and [to] make sure they meet the particular wickets we are looking for.”

ATG deemed USS John C. Stennis as prepared to conduct future tasks after the ULTRA-S that covered general quarters drills that requires sailors to report to damage control repair lockers, prepare the ship for damage as well as seek out and respond to simulated casualties.

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Gen. Mark Milley: Army Must Update Tactics, Weapons to Manage Future Conflicts
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Gen. Mark Milley: Army Must Update Tactics, Weapons to Manage Future Conflicts


Mark Milley
Mark Milley

Gen. Mark Milley, U.S. Army chief of staff, has said he predicts the future of the service branch will not include divisions, corps, tanks or Bradley fighting vehicles and bear little resemblance to its current state in 25 to 30 years.

He told the annual Association of the U.S. Army meeting that nation states will fight to protect their interests the same way conflicts over territory or resources are present today, the service branch said Thursday.

“I suspect that the organizations and weapons and doctrines of land armies, between 2025 and 2050, in that quarter-century period of time, will be fundamentally different than what we see today,” said Milley.

“We must invest in hardening our systems and, equally important, train on the techniques of operating with limited electronics.”

Milley noted the Army needs to update current thinking, training and fighting strategies as well as learn to utilize new methods to communicate, produce water or devise replacement parts.

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