GovExec.com Today - August 30, 2004
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August 30, 2004
* Bush issues order boosting CIA director's authority
* Officials warn of potential attacks on VA hospitals
* Administration renews focus on reducing improper payments
* Senators differ over Pentagon control of intelligence agencies
* TSA to debut revised pre-screening program early next year
* Medicare officials seek to boost use of discount drug cards
* Today's column: Outlook
* Quote of the day
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1. Bush issues order boosting CIA director's authority
President Bush Friday issued a series of executive orders designed to address
recommendations of the recent special commission on the Sept. 11 attacks.
One order gives the CIA chief interim authority to perform many of the the functions
envisioned for the national intelligence director proposed by the 9/11 commission,
overseeing all 15 of the intelligence agencies in government.
Another executive order creates a National Counterterrorism Center, with the authority
to direct operations in a number of areas, including military and law enforcement
affairs. A third order establishes guidelines for information sharing among
intelligence agencies.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704gsn1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704gsn1.htm
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2. Officials warn of potential attacks on VA hospitals
The FBI and the Homeland Security Department have issued a warning that al Qaeda may
attempt to attack hospitals operated by the Veterans Affairs Department, according to
an Associated Press report.
On Thursday, the FBI and DHS sent a bulletin to law enforcement officials nationwide
alerting them to reports of "suspicious activity" at government-operated medical
facilities across the country, including unspecified military medical facilities in
Bethesda, Md., and Aurora, Colo.
"These facilities may be considered attractive targets due to their association with
the military and a perception that such an attack may be more successful than an
attack against traditional military targets, which generally maintain a more robust
security posture," the bulletin said. The AP obtained a copy of the warning Friday.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704ts1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704ts1.htm
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3. Administration renews focus on reducing improper payments
By Amelia Gruber
The Bush administration is searching for more cost-effective methods of tracking and
reducing improper payments to beneficiaries of government programs and is considering
subjecting federal agencies to more rigorous audit requirements, according to an
Office of Management and Budget report.
To help agencies comply with the 2002 Improper Payments Information Act (H.R. 4878) at
minimal expense, OMB and the Chief Financial Officers Council are developing
standardized techniques for identifying and reporting payment errors, said Office of
Management and Budget Controller Linda Springer in an OMB report on governmentwide
efforts to improve financial management. Mistakes typically occur when agencies
distribute benefits to ineligible applicants, over- or underpay beneficiaries, or send
out duplicate payments.
The 2002 law requires agencies to identify payment errors and devise plans for
correcting those that add up to more than $10 million or more than 2.5 percent of a
program's spending. They then must set targets for reducing mistakes. Agencies are
trying to comply, but are having a difficult time setting appropriate targets,
especially for more complex programs, Springer said.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704a1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704a1.htm
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4. Senators differ over Pentagon control of intelligence agencies
By Mike Nartker, Global Security Newswire
The leaders of the Senate Intelligence Committee this week offered differing proposals
for how much control a new national intelligence director should have over those
intelligence agencies controlled by the Defense Department.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, Friday
proposed that during times of war, the planned national intelligence director and the
defense secretary should be given equal roles in the management of the intelligence
agencies controlled by the Pentagon - - the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National
Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National
Reconnaissance Office. In the event of disputes between the two officials, the matter
would be resolved by the National Security Council and the president.
Rockefeller's proposal was one of a number of intelligence reform measures outlined in
a letter sent to Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins,
R-Maine, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the committee.
The Governmental Affairs Committee is responsible for preparing legislation
implementing intelligence reform.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704gsn2.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704gsn2.htm
_____
5. TSA to debut revised pre-screening program early next year
By Chris Strohm
The Transportation Security Administration expects to start screening airline
passengers against government watch lists of suspected terrorists early next year, the
agency's administrator said Thursday.
Within weeks, TSA will begin testing the Secure Flight passenger screening program,
which was developed after a previous, highly controversial effort was shelved amid
widespread concerns about privacy and technical issues. The previous program was known
as the Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System II.
"CAPPS II is dead, have no doubt about that," said TSA Administrator David Stone. "The
CAPPS II program as we defined it is no more. Secure Flight is the program."
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704c1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704c1.htm
_____
Brought to you by the Graduate School, USDA
{ Link:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;10386953;5622871;n?http://register.grad.usda.gov/programs/edfm.cfm
}
{Image: Brought to you by Graduate School, USDA}
Essential Financial Management Training
The Graduate School, USDA is licensed by ASMC to offer open enrollment sessions of the
popular { Link:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;10386953;5622871;n?http://register.grad.usda.gov/programs/edfm.cfm
}
Enhanced Defense Financial Management Training course. Learn about DoD financial
management practices and the competencies covered in the CDFM exam. This class is open
to government contractors too. Join us in San Antonio, Washington, D.C., Jacksonville,
Las Vegas or Columbus.
For more information and to register, please { Link:
http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;10386953;5622871;n?http://register.grad.usda.gov/programs/edfm.cfm
}
click here.
_____
6. Medicare officials seek to boost use of discount drug cards
By Marilyn Werber Serafini, National Journal
The temporary discount drug cards created under the new Medicare law can save senior
citizens as much as 18 percent off retail prices on brand-name drugs, and 65 percent
off national average prices for generic drugs, boasts Mark McClellan, Medicare's
administrator. Moreover, if seniors switch some of their brand-name drugs to generics,
the savings can be as great as 92 percent off retail prices. The cards cost $30 a year
at most, and some are free.
So, if the card is such a no-brainer, then why aren't seniors pushing their way to the
front of the line? Why the slow uptake?
At the end of July, two months after the cards took effect, 4 million Medicare
beneficiaries had a card, out of 33 million eligible people. And only 1.7 million had
signed up on their own, while the other 58 percent had been enrolled automatically by
their Medicare HMOs. About 1 million people were getting the $600 federal subsidy
available to low-income beneficiaries, even though 7.2 million were eligible because
their incomes fell below cutoff levels ($12,569 for individuals and $16,862 for
couples). Even though such eye-opening savings are available, finding the best card is
difficult, and many angry seniors refuse to try the system out.
Full story: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704nj1.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/082704nj1.htm
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7. Today's column: Outlook
Money Talks
For pay-for-performance systems to work, agencies need the budgets to back them up.
Full column: { Link: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/083004ol.htm }
http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0804/083004ol.htm
_____
8. Quote of the day
"Seniors are confused, frustrated, and angry about the cards, and with reason."
-- Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., criticizing Medicare's handling of the temporary {
Link: http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=29338&dcn=todaysnews }
discount drug card program, which has failed to generate widespread interest among
seniors.
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